Background:
Increases in chronic illness due to sedentary lifestyles and poor metabolic fitness have led to numerous intervention strategies to promote physical activity [PA]. This paper describes the methodological strategies of two short-term PA interventions. Outcome measures reported are PA adherence and compliance rates during the intervention and at 3, 6 and 12-month follow-up.
Methods:
The 40-day interventions were: a pedometer-based walking program (n=251) and a group-based intensive program (n=148). There was also an active control group (n=135). Intervention subjects were prescribed PA each day and required to record all activity sessions [pedometer steps or energy expenditure from heart rate monitors].
Results:
Compliance [>150min/wk PA] was highest post-intervention [81.1% and 64.5% for the group and pedometer subjects, respectively] and then progressively decreased across the 12-month follow-up period [final compliance rates were 53.5% and 46.6%, respectively] although they remained significantly higher than pre-intervention rates [zero %]. There was significantly higher adherence to 6 months [75.0% and 64.9%], and compliance to 3 months [64.9% and 51.0%], for group versus pedometer subjects. The active control group maintained the highest adherence and compliance rates across the study.
Conclusions:
The group-based program resulted in higher adherence and compliance rates post-intervention although both types of interventions showed long-term effectiveness to increase activity patterns.