title: Moderators of Theory-Based Interventions to Promote Physical Activity in 77 Randomized Controlled Trials.
abstract: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has recently showed that theory-based interventions designed to promote physical activity (PA) significantly increased PA behavior. The objective of the present study was to investigate the moderators of the efficacy of these theory-based interventions. Seventy-seven RCTs evaluating theory-based interventions were systematically identified. Sample, intervention, methodology, and theory implementation characteristics were extracted, coded by three duos of independent investigators, and tested as moderators of interventions effect in a multiple-meta-regression model. Three moderators were negatively associated with the efficacy of theory-based interventions on PA behavior: intervention length (≥14 weeks; β = -.22, p = .004), number of experimental patients (β = -.10, p = .002), and global methodological quality score (β = -.08, p = .04). Our findings suggest that the efficacy of theory-based interventions to promote PA could be overestimated consequently due to methodological weaknesses of RCTs and that interventions shorter than 14 weeks could maximize the increase of PA behavior.
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.|2 Challenge for the Change of Behaviour Group, Montpellier, France.|3 Université Laval Cancer Research Center, Québec, Canada.|4 Université Laval, Québec, Canada.|5 Université Laval Research Center, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Paquito
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.|2 Challenge for the Change of Behaviour Group, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carayol
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.|2 Challenge for the Change of Behaviour Group, Montpellier, France.|6 Institut Regional du Cancer, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gourlan
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.|2 Challenge for the Change of Behaviour Group, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boiché
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.|2 Challenge for the Change of Behaviour Group, Montpellier, France.|7 University Hospital of Lapeyronie, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Ahmed Jérôme
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Romain
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.|2 Challenge for the Change of Behaviour Group, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bortolon
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.|2 Challenge for the Change of Behaviour Group, Montpellier, France.|6 Institut Regional du Cancer, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lareyre
authors.affiliation: 1 University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.|2 Challenge for the Change of Behaviour Group, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ninot
mesh_terms: D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: exercise; health behavior change; meta-regression; methodological quality; scoring method; theoretical implementation