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Volume 2: No. 2, April 2005
SPECIAL TOPICS
ORIGINAL RESEARCH: FEATURED
ABSTRACT FROM THE 19TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CHRONIC DISEASE
PREVENTION AND CONTROL
Moving People to Move: Midpoint Results of the Walk the Ozarks
to Wellness Project
Nikki M. Caito, Michael Elliott, Sarah Lovegreen, Paula Klump, Matthew W. Kreuter, Ross Brownson
Suggested citation for this article: Caito NM, Elliott
M, Lovegreen S, Klump P, Kreuter MW, Brownson R. Moving people to
move: midpoint results of the Walk the Ozarks to Wellness Project
[abstract]. Prev Chronic Dis [serial online] 2005 Apr
[date cited]. Available from: URL: http://www.cy118119.com/pcd/issues/2005/
apr/04_0142v.htm.
PEER REVIEWED
Track: Communications and Technology
The Walk the Ozarks to Wellness Project is a four-year longitudinal study of
walking currently underway in six rural underserved communities in southeast Missouri. The
project's objective is to increase time spent walking among low-income,
overweight, rural Missourians who have diabetes or who are at risk for
developing the disease.
Participants initially enrolled in this study at community health events sponsored by
a local steering committee. Throughout the first year of the intervention,
beginning in November 2003, participants received a monthly newsletter. In the second
year, participants receive a bimonthly newsletter. Newsletter messages were
written based on participant surveys completed at baseline and at month nine. Topics
addressed in the first nine newsletters included motivation,
health history, discussions with doctors, self-efficacy, and
barriers. Additional newsletters included topics about social
support and physical activity level.
To date, 1065 participants have enrolled in the project in
nine groups. We have received midpoint (T2) surveys from
153 participants in the first group. Paired t-test analyses show
significant improvement at T2 in those who reported no walking
and no moderate activities at baseline, in both days per week and
minutes per week (P < .001). Of those who marked
having no place to exercise as a barrier at baseline, 81% no
longer had this barrier at T2. McNemar tests show significant
improvement at T2 in those who had not talked to their doctors
about healthy eating (P < .001), exercise (P =
.029), and losing weight (P < .001) at baseline.
Stages of Change analyses show advancement in those who were in
the precontemplation and contemplation stages, where overall, 69%
in precontemplation and 67% in contemplation moved forward.
These results show the preliminary impact of a tailored intervention in a
high-risk population. This tailored
intervention was effective in 1) moving
participants forward in the initial stages of change; 2)
increasing awareness about the importance of talking with
one’s doctor about leading a healthy lifestyle; and 3)
decreasing perceived barriers.
Corresponding Author: Nikki M. Caito, MPH, MS, RD, LD,
Research Coordinator, Saint Louis University School of Public
Health, Health Communication Research Laboratory, 3545 Lafayette
Ave, Room 424, St. Louis, MO 63104. Telephone: 314-977-4047.
Email: caitonm@slu.edu.
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