Abstract 17211: Barriers and Predictors of Physical Activity Maintenance: The STRRIDE I Reunion Cohort

Abstract

Introduction: STRRIDE I (Studies of Targeting Risk Reduction Interventions through Defined Exercise) was an 8-month exercise intervention conducted from 1998-2003. Participants were randomized to an inactive control group or one of three exercise groups differing in amount and intensity. Ten years later, participants returned for follow-up assessments as part of the STRRIDE I Reunion study. Hypothesis/Research Questions: 1) What barriers influence physical activity (PA) maintenance ten years following a supervised exercise intervention? 2) What factors predict PA maintenance ten years following a supervised exercise intervention? Methods: At baseline and post-intervention STRRIDE I assess clinical markers including height, weight, blood pressure, waist circumference, body composition, peak V˙O 2 , glucose, insulin, and lipids. For the Reunion study, 104 participants completed a 3-month PA recall questionnaire, which included self-reported barriers to current PA participation. For the clinical variables, baseline, post-intervention, and change scores (post minus baseline values) were used to generate three separate predictive models. Models were generated using a backward bootstrap variable selection algorithm followed by multiple linear regression. Results: Ten years after completing STRRIDE I, the mean self-reported PA was 77.9 + 76.5 minutes/week. The most commonly reported barriers to PA maintenance were lack of self-motivation (41%), time constraints (33%), illness or injury (29%), and family obligations (23%). The model utilizing baseline variables as predictors of PA maintenance had an adjusted R 2 value of 0.05, while the model utilizing post-intervention variables had an adjusted R 2 of 0.12. The model utilizing change scores to predict PA maintenance had an adjusted R 2 of 0.17; changes in mean heart rate explained the greatest variance in PA maintenance (partial R 2 = 0.10). Conclusions: Continued PA participation beyond a structured exercise intervention setting continues to be challenging for individuals. When trying to predict PA maintenance, where you start or how you finish the intervention may not be as imperative; rather, how you respond in certain variables may be the most important predictors of PA maintenance.