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Health Contract With Sedentary Older Adults

Correspondence: Address correspondence to David Haber, Ball State University, Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology, Muncie, IN 47306. E-mail: dhaber{at}bsu.edu

Purpose: Health educators used health contracts with sedentary older adults for the purpose of increasing exercise or physical activity. Design and Methods: Two health educators helped 25 sedentary older adults complete health contracts, and then they conducted follow-up evaluations. The percentage of scheduled exercise sessions successfully completed by older adults was calculated. Participants were asked if each of five components of the health contract—motivation, goal setting, social support, memory techniques, and problem solving—was helpful in achieving their exercise goals. Results: Of the 25 participants, 20 achieved at least 75% of their exercise goals and 15 had a 100% success rate. Most of the older adults reported that several behavioral, social, and cognitive strategies were helpful to them. Implications: This technique may be applied by health educators or clinicians in a variety of settings and can be focused on one of several potential risk factors.

Key Words: Exercise promotion; Social • behavioral • and cognitive management; Health educators

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