Evaluation of motivationally tailored vs. standard self-help physical activity interventions at the workplace.

PURPOSE

This study compares the efficacy of a self-help intervention tailored to the individual's stage of motivational readiness for exercise adoption with a standard self-help exercise promotion intervention.

DESIGN

Interventions were delivered at baseline and 1 month; assessments were collected at baseline and 3 months.

SETTING

Eleven worksites participating in the Working Healthy Research Trial.

SUBJECTS

Participants (n = 1559) were a subsample of employees at participating worksites, individually randomized to one of two treatment conditions.

INTERVENTION

Printed self-help exercise promotion materials either (1) matched to the individual's stage of motivational readiness for exercise adoption (motivationally tailored), or (2) standard materials (standard).

MEASURES

Measures of stage of motivational readiness for exercise and items from the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall.

RESULTS

Among intervention completers (n = 903), chi-square analyses showed that, compared to the standard intervention, those receiving the motivationally tailored intervention were significantly more likely to show increases (37% vs. 27%) and less likely to show either no change (52% vs. 58%) or regression (11% vs. 15%) in stage of motivational readiness. Multivariate analyses of variance showed that changes in stage of motivational readiness were significantly associated with changes in self-reported time spent in exercise.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first prospective, randomized, controlled trial demonstrating the efficacy of a brief motivationally tailored intervention compared to a standard self-help intervention for exercise adoption. These findings appear to support treatment approaches that tailor interventions to the individual's stage of motivational readiness for exercise adoption.