Effects of Classroom and Virtual "Lifetime Fitness for Heath" Instruction on College Students' Exercise Behavior

Authors

  • Bradley J. Cardinal
  • Marc D. Spaziani

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of a theoretically-based, Lifetime Fitness for Health (LFH) course on college students’ weekly leisuretime exercise behavior and their use of behavior change strategies and techniques derived from the transtheoretical model (TTM). One hundred fifty-one students were recruited into the study (60.3% female, 81.5% Caucasian, M age = 21.3 yr.) with post-intervention data available for 109 (72.2%) participants. The intervention consisted of nine 80-minute lessons developed using TTM concepts and strategies and offered either in a classroom or web-based format. Control participants were recruited from non-LFH courses. Participants’ weekly leisure-time exercise behavior, along with the behavioral and cognitive processes of change, decisional balance, and selfefficacy were  collected before and after the 10- week intervention. Compared to controls, classroom participants experienced a 133% increase in their exercise behavior, and a 52% increase compared to the web-based participants. Web-Based participants experienced a 53% increase in their exercise behavior compared to control participants. Web-Based participants also made the largest gains in self-efficacy, decisional balance, and the behavioral processes of change. The efficacy of the LFH course, regardless of delivery format, was generally supported.

Downloads

Published

2007-10-26

Issue

Section

Articles