Recorded presentation

Katherine V Mowat, MS, Center for Health Promotion and Health Behavior, The University of Mississippi, PO Box 1848, 215 Turner Center, University, MS 38677, 662.915.5521, kmowat@olemiss.edu and Jeffrey S. Hallam, PhD, Health Promotion, University of Mississippi, PO Box 1848, 215 Turner Center, University, MS 38677.

To increase the effectiveness of physical activity interventions, researchers should focus on basic behavioral and mediator change research. Therefore, the purpose of study was to examine the mediating effects of a social cognitive theory (SCT) based intervention on female exercise behavior. Subjects were randomly assigned to treatment (n=18) and control (n=18) groups. Both groups received access to the on-site fitness facility, orientation, and individual exercise program. The treatment group received a four-hour intervention designed to enhance the SCT variables. Observations were made at baseline and 6 weeks. All instruments had established reliability and validity. Results show no interaction (time x group) for self-efficacy (p=0.338) or outcome-expectancy values (p=0.25) A significant interaction was found for self-regulation (p < 0.001). Both groups increased their exercise behavior, but the treatment group showed a greater increase. We examined the self-regulation data for a mediating effect because a significant interaction was found. No mediating effect was found for self-regulation, using a three-step regression technique. The mediating results are different than other published research, but the effect of the intervention on self-regulation is similar. This may be due to the observations being compared. In previous research a mediating effect was found for 12-month data and our data are between baseline and 6-weeks. There may be a temporal effect of the intervention on self-regulation skills and exercise behavior. We plan to collect data at 6-months and 12-months to examine this temporal dimension.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to describe the mediating effect of selected social cognitive theory variables on female exercise behavior.
• Participants will be able to describe the six subscales of exercise self-regulation.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Theory

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation