A tailored internet intervention did not increase physical activity more than a tailored print intervention or publicly available web sites
B H Marcus
Correspondence to: Dr B H Marcus, Miriam Hospital and Brown Medical School, Providence, RI, USA; bmarcus@lifespan.org
QUESTION
In sedentary adults, does a tailored, internet-based intervention (TII) increase physical activity more than a tailored, print-based intervention (TPI) or access to publicly available web sites?
METHODS
Design:
randomised controlled trial.
Allocation:
{concealed}.*
Blinding:
Blinded {data collectors}.*
Follow-up period:
6 and 12 months.
Setting:
Providence, RI and Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Participants:
249 healthy adults ⩾18 years of age (mean age 45 y, 83% women) who were sedentary (⩽90 min physical activity per wk). Exclusion criteria included history of coronary or valvular heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, orthopaedic problems limiting stress testing, or other conditions that would make physical activity unsafe; consumption of ⩾3 alcohol drinks/day for ⩾5 days/week; pregnancy; suicidal ideation or psychosis; clinical depression or admission for a psychiatric disorder in the past …
