Use of transtheoretical model to facilitate physical activity and promote cardiovascular health knowledge in an urban community setting

Background: There is increasing evidence that physical activity promotes cardiovascular health (CVH) and reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to determine the impacts of a complex physical activity intervention designed collaboratively with the community and tailored to the needs of individual on physical activity knowledge and behaviour with the intention to improve CVH within an urban population context.
Method: A physical activity programme involving 50 participants was developed and implemented collaboratively with the community, in a participatory approach at least twice a week, and monitored at two-week intervals throughout the project.  Focus group interview was used to explore the barriers and ways of overcoming barriers to physical activity among the participants. One-to-one interviews were used to explore challenges that each participant encountered in trying to improve physical activity and to tailor specific advice depending on a participant’s peculiar circumstances. Questionnaire was used to monitor participants’ reported physical activity as well as evaluate changes in knowledge about how physical activity affects CVH.
Results: At baseline, most participants reported that they were unaware of the importance of physical activity to cardiovascular health. At week 4, there was a shift, with more participants reporting awareness, contemplation, and intention to increase levels of physical activity, compared to baseline. At week 8, there was another shift, with more participants reporting attempting to exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week, although not always meeting up to the challenge. At week 10 there was a shift to more participants in the adoption phase (compared to week 6) and many reporting that the behaviour had become sustainable (compared to week 4). By week 12 there was a significant shift towards more participants encouraging others to become more physically active, that continued to increase at week 14.
Conclusion: Programmes such as this can have a significant impact on awareness within a few weeks, and many participants reported that they are maintaining a change in behaviour, that might impact on future health, after three months.