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Midlife women's adherence to home-based walking during maintenance
Joellen Wilbur1, Annemarie Vassalo, Peggy Chandler
1Department of Public Health, Mental Health and Administrative Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago Annemarie Vassalo, MS, USA. JWilbur@uic.edu
Nursing Research
|February 8, 2005
Summary
Midlife women maintained walking 80% of the time after a program. Self-efficacy and adherence during the intervention influenced long-term walking maintenance.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Science
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Physical activity offers numerous benefits, yet many women remain inactive or drop out of exercise programs.
- Identifying factors influencing sustained physical activity is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe midlife women's maintenance of walking post-intervention.
- To identify predictors of walking retention and adherence, including self-efficacy and prior adherence.
Main Methods:
- A 24-week home-based walking program was completed by 90 Black and White women (aged 40-65).
- Measurements included self-efficacy, fitness, body fat (baseline, 24, 48 weeks), and adherence via heart-rate monitors and logs.
Main Results:
- 80% retention was observed during the maintenance phase.
- Women adhered to 64% of expected walks, showing dynamic adherence patterns.
- Self-efficacy and intervention adherence explained 40% of maintenance adherence variance.
Conclusions:
- Self-efficacy for overcoming barriers and adherence during the intervention are key to sustained walking.
- Adopting and maintaining new health behaviors like walking is a dynamic process.