Prospective analysis of stage-of-exercise movement following mail-delivered, self-instructional exercise packets

This study investigated the efficacy of mail-delivered, self-instructional exercise packets designed to motivate, encourage, and support women's movement through the stages of exercise. The study took place within the subjects' natural work environment and involved no formal exercise classes or programs. Besides mailing each subject her individualized packet, no contact occurred between the researchers and study participants except for data collection at 1 month and 7 months after baseline. For the sample as a whole, a significant time effect was found; yet no significant within-group or between-group differences were observed. However, a general pattern that favored the LEP group over both the SEP and FFP groups was identified and, interestingly, the FFP over the SEP. For example, study adherence rates were 81.1%, 71.1%, 63.2% for the LEP, FFP, and SEP groups, respectively. Although speculative, it is tenable that subjects from the LEP group had better adherence to the study because they were more satisfied with their intervention than subjects from the other two groups. Also in favor of the LEP and FFP groups was the percentage of participants who improved their stage-of-exercise status from baseline to 1 month (i.e., 45.8%, 42.1%, and 27.8%, respectively, for the LEP, FFP, and SEP groups [precontemplation through action stages only]). Similar results were seen from baseline through 7 months (i.e., 58.3%, 57.9%, and 55.5%, respectively, for the LEP, FFP, and SEP groups [precontemplation through action stages only]). Independent of group, subjects in the earlier stages of exercise at baseline responded favorably to the intervention; 90% of precontemplators and contemplators combined improved their stage-of-exercise status.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)