Use of self-management strategies in a 2-year cognitive-behavioral intervention to promote physical activity

Training in the use of self-management strategies (e.g., self-monitoring, p ositive self-talk) is common in behavioral and cognitive interventions, and participants' strategy use is a hypothesized mechanism for behavior change . However, reports of strategy use and the relation between strategy use an d outcomes are rare. The use of cognitive and behavior strategies pertinent to increasing physical activity was assessed via survey at post-course, I- year, and 2-year follow-up among 256 university seniors randomly assigned t o either an intervention that promoted strategy use or to a nonbehavioral h ealth course (control). Strategy use was higher among intervention relative to control women only at post-course, but was significantly related to wom en's leisure-time physical activity at post-course, I-year, and 2-year foll ow-up after controlling for prior physical activity and condition. Men's st rategy use did not differ by condition at any time point, but was associate d with men's physical activity at 2-year follow-up. Strategy use was also a ssessed among intervention participants during ongoing phone contact. Parti cipants' frequency of goal setting accounted for an additional 5.1% of wome n's physical activity variance at the 2-year assessment, but strategy use a ssessed on this ongoing basis was not related to men's physical activity. E xamining proposed intervention mechanisms of change and the relation betwee n these mechanisms and outcomes is paramount to improving cognitive-behavio ral interventions.