Populations in developed and developing countries are becoming increasingly sedentary and the adverse health effects of relatively sedentary lifestyles, the so called lifestyle diseases, are now obvious. However, moderately vigorous physical activity is positively linked via a cause-and-effect relationship with a range of improved health outcomes. Broadly, current physical activity recommendations suggest that adults should achieve a total of at least 30 minutes a day of at least moderate intensity physical activity on five or more days of the week; however, estimates suggest that the majority of adults in the Western World do not meet these recommendations. Many of the factors involved in the initiation and long-term maintenance of physical activity are not fully understood. Considering the rapid pace of technological development and the general move away from labour-based economies, it does appear that the required level of physical activity necessary for optimal health needs to come from leisure-time activity– specifically, planned, regular, moderately vigorous exercise and/or sport. Unfortunately, many people experience great difficulty in engaging with and maintaining a physically active lifestyle and typically there is a rather large gap between what people know to be healthy and what they actually do. The general aim of this project was to design, implement and evaluate the clinical, social and behavioural effectiveness of a buddy-Motivational Interviewing intervention (buddy-MI) in assisting relatively sedentary adults to adopt and maintain regular physical activity for the purpose of improving their cardio-respiratory fitness, health, and quality of life. Specific aims of the intervention included formally involving social support (via the self-selected motivational-buddy) and strengthening individuals’ motivation for and movement toward their physical activity goals. The experimental intervention specifically aimed to extend the MI treatment effect by enhancing participants’ commitment to physical activity over time via intra-treatment social support (support provided within treatment sessions) as well as extra-treatment social support (day-to-day support) provided by the motivational-buddy. A fundamental was to deliver the intervention in a format that could realistically be implemented within typical primary care settings, workplaces, schools or other similar setting: to work towards healthier more active communities and to potentially reduce health system resource utilisation. Using a repeated-measures pragmatic parallel group randomised controlled trial (RCT) design, relatively sedentary adolescents and adults, in stable health, recruited from a university campus population were allocated to one of two interventions. In the experimental intervention, participants were supported by a self-selected motivational-buddy and they received 2-4 sessions of buddy-MI over a period of 12-months (participant determined schedule) as well as pro-active follow-up emails. The control intervention was standard care MI, and the same email follow-up as in the experimental group but without the additional support of a motivational-buddy. The main outcomes were self-reported physical activity, cardio-respiratory fitness and health related quality of life. These primary outcomes were measured at four time-points over the 12-months intervention and follow-up period and quantitative methods were used to analyse the data. Qualitative data were also analysed and presented in relation to the motivational-buddy component of the intervention. The study evaluated the feasibility and incremental effectiveness of motivational-buddy support compared to one-on-one MI in people who had expressed an interest in becoming more physically active. It used a novel intervention design incorporating self-selected motivational-buddies in an effort to mitigate the twin problems of poor adherence and behavioural regression that are commonly associated with physical activity promotion programmes. The intervention was found to have merit and the potential implications for the health-care system, and the wider community, are discussed.

There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

There are a number of areas of research possessing varying degrees of relevancy to the present study. The central problem in this investigation is the relationship of early to final impressions and though such studies reported by Allport (1937), and the more recent one of Gage (1952), are concerned with quickly formed impressions they have little relevance as they are concerned with relating impressions to external criteria. The investigations of Allport and Vernon (1932) and Wolff (1943) dealing with the congruence of different modes of expressive behaviour would be of interest if the task was that of analyzing the bases of early impressions. These, together with such research as Magson (1929), and Wolf and Murray (1937), which yield evidence concerning the kinds of valid judgments which may be made on the basis of observation will take on additional significance if it can be shown that early observations create impressions which carry important weight in the final outcome of the interview. Research in the applied field concerning the employment interview is naturally suggested in view of the primary interest of this investigation. This proved to be disappointing in terms of providing a foundation upon which the present study might be built. A brief account of the work 1n this field is given not because it aids in the interpretation of these experimental results but, rather, to point out the implications of the point of view presented by this study for what has already been done in the field. [...]

The effectiveness of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET), a brief four session form of Motivational Interviewing (MI), provided by diabetes health practitioners at a hospital-based clinic, in improving diabetes outcome and self-management of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes was evaluated using quasi-experimental designs (i.e., non-random control group and multiple baseline designs). Study 1 evaluated if MET provided by Diabetes Nurse Educators (DNEs) was effective in improving diabetes outcome (i.e., blood glucose and lipids) and diabetes self-management, and compared its effectiveness to the current standard treatment which comprised Patient Education (PE). Study 2 evaluated if the results of Study 1 could be generalised to Dietitians providing the intervention. Study 3 evaluated the effects of MI training and post-training supervised practice on practitioner and patient behaviour. Specific hypotheses (Studies 1-2) were that MI would lead to improved diabetes outcome through improved diabetes self-management, and would be more effective than PE. Further, training in MI plus supervised practice was predicted to lead to Nurse Educators behaving in ways consistent with MI and as a result the participants would exhibit less resistance and increased change talk than participants receiving PE (Study 3). The results suggest that MET was well received by the participants, and contributed to improved diabetes outcome (e.g., lowered blood glucose) and diabetes self-management (e.g., self-monitoring of blood glucose and dietary compliance), and may have been more effective than PE, although high variability made conclusions uncertain. Evidence of generalisation across participants, intervention staff, and outcomes is provided. Additionally, evidence is provided that with two days training plus supervised practice the DNE were able to practice MET to at least a beginning level of competency in MI and that as a result the participants behaved in ways consistent with MI theory (i.e., showed less resistance and increased change talk).

Thesis (M.A.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Communications, 2007. / Colored illustrations on electronic copy only. Includes bibliographical references (p. 60-62).

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographic references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Waikato, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 248-266) Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 224-275.

Thesis--Rutgers University. / Vita. Photocopy of typescript. Ann Arbor : University Microfilms, 1977.--21 cm. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-146).

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Passau, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references and index.