An intervention to promote walking in sedentary women in the community

To evaluate a telephone counseling intervention that was designed to help sedentary women begin and maintain a walking program.

Females (N = 197) were randomly assigned to either an intervention, attention control, or no-attention control group. Assessments were made at baseline and 6 months.

Women in the intervention group reported more time walked each day than did control women (P < .05). The intervention worked equally for African American and European American women as well as for different income groups.

Overall, a counseling intervention via telephone appears to be a good way to help women begin a walking program.