Abstract
Research supports the conclusion that home-based exercise programs are problematic from the perspective of long-term adherence (e.g., Burke et al., 2006). However, there also is evidence that periodic contact from health care professionals and/or experimenters can ameliorate non-adherence (e.g., Burke et al., 2006). Our purpose of the present study was to quantify, through the use of meta-analysis, the impact of source, type, and frequency of contact on the exercise involvement of adults 50 years or older involved in home-based exercise programs. A secondary problem was to examine the influence of a number of potential moderators. A total of 65 studies containing over 5000 participants produced 299 effect sizes for analysis. The overall effect size (Hedges g = -.123, p > .05) indicated that for participants exercising in a home-based program, there was a small (albeit nonsignificant) reduction in exercise involvement) over the duration of the intervention. None of the moderator variables examined—medical condition, gender, age, activity status, duration of program, type of physical activity, and study design—changed the basic relationship. Also, overall, neither source, type, nor frequency of contact changed the relationship. The results are discussed in terms of social support theory and research.
