A prospective study of psychosocial correlates of physical activity for ethnic minority women

The purpose of this study was to identify correlates of physical activity for sedentary, ethnic minority women and determine if these correlates were modified by an intervention. One hundred twenty-five women participated in a randomized, controlled trial of a walking program. The intervention was designed to alter social learning-based correlates through telephone counseling and mailings. Walking and correlates were assessed at baseline, 8-week post-test, and 5-month follow-up. Both intervention and control groups increased walking and decreased in reports of perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and enjoyment from baseline to post-test, and baseline to follow-up. Social support increased over time, with intervention participants reporting greater increases. Change in self-efficacy from baseline to follow-up was associated with increases in walking. The results provide some evidence that self-efficacy correlated with walking for participants, but 3 of 4 correlates were not positively influenced by the intervention.