Older women and physical activity: using the telephone to walk.

R egular physical activity has been shown to have beneficial effects on both physical and mental health.i4 The Centers for Disease Control and the American College of Sports Medicine have suggested that adults should accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity during the course of most days.* In the elderly population, moderate physical activity, such as walking, is associated with improved health outcomes.*5 Nevertheless, the majority of older people are sedentary. Results from the 1985 National Health Interview Survey show that two-thirds of those ages 65 and over do not exercise regularly.‘j The benefits of physical activity for elderly women include decreased risk of osteoporosis, decreased incidence of depression, and increased functional status.‘~7W’0 Despite these findings, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System reported that in 1990, 86.7% of women surveyed ages 65 and over were sedentary.i’ Yet, little is known about the determinants of exercise behavior in this population. Interventions to increase physical activity in the elderly include public education campaigns, formal education, and training programs.‘2-‘4 These efforts have been unsuccessful at maintaining the adoption of this behavior.‘2-‘4 Dishman et all3 report that 50% of those who participate in organized exercise programs such as aerobics classes will drop out during the first 3-6 months. An individual’s knowledge, attitude, and demographics are some factors that researchers have found to influence exercise habits.13 Among elderly women, physical and health problems, time constraints, personal issues such as inclement weather, lack of companionship, safety concerns, and lack of motivation interfere with regular exercise.15 Our objective was to use telecommunications technology to underpin an intervention that would be effective, easy to use, convenient, and inexpensive,