An Intervention to Promote Walking in Sedentary Women in the Community

Mary A. Nies, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAAHB; Heather L. Chruscial, MA; Joseph T. Hepworth, PhD

Objectives: To evaluate a telephone counseling intervention that was designed to help sedentary women begin and maintain a walking program. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: Overall, a counseling intervention via telephone appears to be a good way to help women begin a walking program.
Key words: women, physical activity, intervention, community, health promotion
2003;27(5):524-535