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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Examination of print and telephone channels for physical activity promotion: Rationale, design, and baseline data
Bess H Marcus1, Melissa A Napolitano, Abby C King
1Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital and Brown Medical School, CORO Building, Suite 500, One Hoppin St., Providence, RI 02903, USA. bmarcus@lifespan.org
Background:
Project STRIDE is a 4-year randomized controlled trial comparing two computer-based expert system guided intervention delivery channels (phone vs. print) for physical activity adoption and short-term maintenance among previously sedentary adults.
Methods:
Sedentary adults (n=239) were randomized to one of the following (1) telephone-based, individualized motivationally-tailored feedback; (2) print-based, individualized motivationally-tailored feedback; (3) contact-control delayed treatment group (received intervention after 12 months as control). This paper: (1) outlines the study design, rationale, and participant sample; and (2) describes relationships between baseline variables to better understand their influence on the efficacy of the intervention.
Results:
Participants averaged 19.8+/-25.0 min of physical activity/week that was at least of moderate intensity, with no group differences. The average estimated VO(2) at 85% of maximum heart rate was 25.6 ml/kg/min. Body fat was 34.1% for women and 23.2% for men and the BMI of the sample averaged 28.5 kg/m(2).
Conclusions:
Project STRIDE examines non face-to-face approaches for promoting physical activity behavior. It has unique features including a direct comparison of an expert system guided intervention delivered via phone or print. Future analyses will examine the cost-effectiveness of the interventions and this will likely yield important information for policy-makers.
