Knox, Craig C (2000) The effect of specialised programming on the exercise adherence of corporate executives. Research Master thesis, Victoria University of Technology.

Abstract

This thesis examines the effectiveness of a specialised fitness program on the exercise adherence of corporate executives over a six-month period. Seventy executives based at the head office of Coles Myer Ltd, in Melbourne, were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The treatment group participants received a specialised fitness program the control group participants received a traditional facility-based fitness program. The specialised fitness program included features and strategies recommended in the literature, and was structured in accordance with the transtheoretical ‘stages of change' model (Prochaska & Marcus, 1994). Sixty-six participants provided data at the completion of the study period. All participants began the study at the action stage and were required to their stage of change at the completion of the six-month period. These quantitative data measured through the use of a questionnaire (PAQ) designed to assess stages of change relating to exercise participation. All participants were asked two further questions at of the study period: a) Why did or didn't you adhere to the program? and b) what program features influenced the outcome? All final data was collected during a short interview with the researcher. The quantitative results support the research hypothesis. A Mann-Whitney analysis produced a significant difference in final stage scores between the treatment and control groups, [U = 272.5, Z = 3.72, p < .001]. It is concluded that the specialised fitness program more effective than the traditional facility-based fitness program in raising the exercise adherence levels of corporate executives. The results indicate that the transtheoretical of change' model appears to have relevance in designing exercise interventions in a corporate fitness program setting and in the use of the PAQ instrument as a measure of behavioural change and exercise adherence. The theory, however, requires more rigorous testing. The use of multiple strategies in exercise programming for corporate executives is also supported by the quantitative results.

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