Impact of In-Person and Mobile Exercise Coaching on Psychosocial Factors Affecting Exercise Adherence in Inactive...

Area of Science:

• Exercise science
• Behavioral psychology
• Public health

Background:

• Obesity presents significant health risks, yet exercise adherence is low.
• Personal trainers can enhance motivation, but in-person coaching is costly.
• Web-based coaching offers a sustainable, flexible alternative, but its impact on psychosocial factors needs investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of hybrid in-person and web-based coaching on psychosocial factors in women with obesity.
• To compare weekly in-person coaching with two combinations of in-person and web-based coaching over 20 weeks.

Main Methods:

• A pragmatic randomized controlled trial involving 188 women with obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²).
• Participants were assigned to weekly in-person coaching, or combined in-person and web-based coaching (twice weekly or monthly).
• Psychosocial factors, including motivation, self-efficacy, and quality of life, were assessed.

Main Results:

• A slight improvement in self-perceived health was noted in all intervention groups compared to controls.
• No significant effects were observed on motivation, barriers, self-efficacy, or social support.
• Intervention groups demonstrated increased exercise frequency compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Combined in-person and web-based coaching may offer a minor benefit in self-perceived health for women with obesity.
• The lack of impact on key psychosocial factors like motivation and self-efficacy requires further investigation.
• Hybrid coaching models need refinement to effectively address behavioral determinants of exercise adherence.