Exercise relapse prevention: The efficacy of a motivational interview intervention

Consistent exercise yields numerous benefits; yet, most adults who begin an exercise program discontinue their participation. Numerous strategies were implemented to advance adherence. Research findings from within the substance abuse field suggested a motivational interview for targeting the ambivalence individuals often feel when considering a positive behavior change. The present study investigated a motivational interview intervention for facilitating exercise adherence. Participants were 87 adults (59% women) from three fitness facilities who had recently become members, had no physical contraindications to exercise, and were exercising less than 5 days per month. Participants received random assignment to either a motivational interview intervention condition or to a control condition. During the 20-minute intervention, trained counselors employed motivational interviewing strategies to shift the participant to the perspective that change is necessary, desirable, and achievable. Each participant's facility attendance records were reviewed 6 months later to obtain a dichotomous measure of adherence and frequency measures of exercise. As determined by a logistic regression analysis on the dichotomous classification of adherence, the effect of the intervention was significant, (p < .0001) as the odds-ratio value indicated that participants in the intervention condition were 8.5 times as likely to be adherent after 6 months than those in the control condition. Also, only 33% of the participants who received the intervention were classified as non-adherent compared to 81% of those in the control condition. Refining and modifying a motivational interview intervention to strengthen its treatment effects is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)