Table 1 Overview of the intervention components, attendance rates, behaviour change strategies and targeted social cognitive constructs
Intervention component | Dose | Description | Behaviour change strategy | Targeted construct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Structured group exercise | 60 min twice a week | Participants could choose to attend one out of five different exercise facilities in Oslo. The different exercise groups were led by an exercise physiologist. The exercise training programme was designed as a low threshold activity. The sessions had the following structure: a 15 min warm-up with easy and fun games, 40 min of floor ball and/or football plus some strength exercises and a 5 min cool down. Seven participants did not attend any of the sessions (one trained by himself and six were not motivated) and two were injured at the first exercise session. The mean attendance was 60% (range: 11% to 100%). | -Provide opportunities for PA | -Environment |
-Increase social support for PA | -Expectancies | |||
-Promote mastery learning through skill training | -Self-efficacy | |||
-Improve knowledge and skill to perform PA | ||||
-Promote positive outcomes of PA | ||||
-Provide credible role models for PA | ||||
Group lectures | 2x2h | The lectures were conducted at the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences. The project leader led the classes. Major topics were: | -Improve knowledge of PA options, including non-vigorous PA | -Social support |
-What is PA? | -Improve knowledge on how to incorporate PA into the daily routine | -Expectancies | ||
-PA and health link; short- and long term effects | -Enhance PA expectancies | -Self-efficacy | ||
-The harms of physical inactivity | -Improve goal setting for PA | |||
-PA recommendations and how to achieve these | -Improve problem solving of PA barriers | |||
-Activity examples | -Improve social support for PA | |||
-Setting small goals | ||||
-Identifying and reducing perceived barriers | ||||
-Making a PA plan | ||||
-Seeking social support | ||||
-Self reward | ||||
Both attendees (90%) and non-attendees received written summaries of the lecturers. | ||||
Individual counselling sessions | 1 h | The counselling was based on the concept that all advice must match the participants’ experience of PA and degree of motivation. Together with the participant, the primary goal was to find activities that could be implemented in a usual week, with the sum of these activities enabling them to reach the PA recommendations. After discussing activity options, the participants set the goals they wanted to achieve over the five-month period. Finally, we discussed barriers by asking “What do you think can stop you from carrying out this activity plan?”, and the possible barriers, and solutions to them were discussed and written down. All participants completed this part of the intervention. | -Identify opportunities for PA | -Social support |
-Improve knowledge and skill to perform PA | -Self-efficacy | |||
-Enhance goal setting for PA | -Expectancies | |||
-Promote mastery for PA | ||||
-Identify and problem solve barriers to PA | ||||
Phone call | 5-15 min | Three to five weeks before the first follow-up test, intervention participants in the intervention group were telephoned to discuss the activity plan, to make changes if necessary, and to encourage further efforts. All participants were reached within three attempts. | -Provide feedback on PA behaviour | -Social support |
-Reinforce problem solving for PA | -Self-efficacy | |||
-Provide encouragement and help |