FREQUENCY OF EXERCISE AND DROPOUTS IN A WORK-SITE PROGRAM - CORRELATES OF 6-MONTH ACTIVITY PATTERNS

Exercise professionals have little information concerning expected lev els of exercise for new participants. This study examined the frequenc y of exercise of 949 employees during their first 6 months of membersh ip in a work-site health promotion facility, using automated check-in data. Overall, the frequency of exercise declined, the proportion of f requent exercisers declined, and the proportion of employees who dropp ed out increased. Men exercised more frequently and were less likely t o drop out than were women (P < .01). Younger employees exercised more frequently than did older employees. Employees in the middle salary l evel exercised more frequently than did employees in the lower or uppe r levels (P < .01). The employee groups that started out with a lower frequency of exercise remained at a lower frequency throughout the 6 m onths. By their 6th month, women were 50% more likely to drop out and 50% less likely to exercise regularly than were men. These figures pro vide a basis for comparison with other programs to document expected e xercise behavior.