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Abstract #148510

Tania B. Basta, PhD, MPH, School of Health Sciences, Ohio University, Grover Center E331, Athens, OH 45701, 740-593-4681, basta@ohio.edu, Michael Reece, PhD, MPH, Dept of Applied Health Science, Indiana University-Bloomington, 1025 E. 7th St, HPER 116, Bloomington, IN 47405, and Mark Wilson, HSD, Health Promotion and Behavior, University of Georgia, 300 River Road, Athens, GA 30602.

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, HIV-related care services have focused on treating the physical and mental side effects of HIV and HAART therapy. However, since individuals are living longer, they are beginning to focus on the prevention of side effects through self-care behavior, including physical activity. The transtheoretical model (TTM) for exercise behavior has been widely used for assessing readiness to begin regular exercise, but has not been examined in individuals living with HIV. The purpose of this study was to examine the distribution of the stages of change for exercise among individuals accessing HIV-related care services and the differences between the constructs explained by the stages of change. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected from 208 individuals accessing HIV-related care services from February – April 2006. Participants completed a questionnaire which assessed each TTM construct and a measure of physical activity level. RESULTS: Forty-nine (23.6%) of the participants were in the action stage and 71 (33.5%) were in the maintenance stage, indicating that over half the sample engaged in regular physical activity. Univariate results indicated significant differences between the stages of each of the TTM constructs (p >.05) with the largest proportion of variance derived from the behavioral processes of change (η2 = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: This was one of the first studies to examine the TTM for exercise behavior among individuals living with HIV. Overall, the results are consistent with studies in healthy populations, suggesting that stage-matched interventions based on the TTM can be developed for individuals accessing HIV-related care services.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the presentation participants will be able to
• describe the constructs of the transtheoretical model (TTM) for exercise behavior,
• explain how to use the TTM to identify motivational readiness for physical activity among individuals living with HIV, and
• identify ways to incorporate stage-matched physical activity messages, based on the TTM, into HIV-related clinic protocols.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.