The heterogeneity in reported effects was reduced in higher quality studies , when physical activity was self-directed with some professional guidance and when there was on-going professional support .
Our review suggests that physical activity interventions have a moderate effect on self reported physical activity and cardio-respiratory fitness , but not on achieving a predetermined level of physical activity .
Due to the clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the studies , only limited conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of individual components of the interventions .
BACKGROUND Little is known about the effectiveness of strategies to enable people to achieve an increase in their physical activity .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of interventions for promoting physical activity in adults aged 16 years and older , not living in an institution .
Evaluation of Motivationally Tailored vs. Standard Self-Help Physical Activity Interventions at the Workplace
Purpose . This study compares the efficacy of a self-help intervention tailored to the individual 's stage of motivational readiness for exercise adoption with a st and ard self-help exercise promotion intervention . Design . Interventions were delivered at baseline and 1 month ; assessment s were collected at baseline and 3 months . Setting . Eleven worksites participating in the Working Healthy Research Trial . Subjects . Participants ( n = 1559 ) were a sub sample of employees at participating worksites , individually r and omized to one of two treatment conditions . Intervention . Printed self-help exercise promotion material s either ( 1 ) matched to the individual 's stage of motivational readiness for exercise adoption ( motivationally tailored ) , or ( 2 ) st and ard material s ( st and ard ) . Measures . Measures of stage of motivational readiness for exercise and items from the 7-Day Physical Activity Recall . Results . Among intervention completers ( n = 903 ) , chi-square analyses showed that , compared to the st and ard intervention , those receiving the motivationally tailored intervention were significantly more likely to show increases ( 37 % vs. 27 % ) and less likely to show either no change ( 52 % vs. 58 % ) or regression ( 11 % vs. 15 % ) in stage of motivational readiness . Multivariate analyses of variance showed that changes in stage of motivational readiness were significantly associated with changes in self-reported time spent in exercise . Conclusions . This is the first prospect i ve , r and omized , controlled trial demonstrating the efficacy of a brief motivationally tailored intervention compared to a st and ard self-help intervention for exercise adoption . These findings appear to support treatment approaches that tailor interventions to the individual 's stage of motivational readiness for exercise adoption
The heterogeneity in reported effects was reduced in higher quality studies , when physical activity was self-directed with some professional guidance and when there was on-going professional support .
Our review suggests that physical activity interventions have a moderate effect on self reported physical activity and cardio-respiratory fitness , but not on achieving a predetermined level of physical activity .
Due to the clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the studies , only limited conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of individual components of the interventions .
BACKGROUND Little is known about the effectiveness of strategies to enable people to achieve an increase in their physical activity .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of interventions for promoting physical activity in adults aged 16 years and older , not living in an institution .