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Open Access Sustained Effectiveness of the Walk Across Texas Program: A Follow-up Study

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This article is Open Access under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND licence.

Objectives: In this study, we used a follow-up assessment to determine the sustained effectiveness of Walk Across Texas, a web-based community physical activity program. Methods: We recruited a sample of adult participants (N=291) who completed program assessments across 3 time periods (pre-, post-, follow-up) in 2018. We assessed changes in self-reported physical activity (days/week). Statistical analysis incorporated paired-samples t-tests, repeated measures ANOVA, and an assessment of participants' overall physical activity changes during the program and follow-up. Results: Overall, there were statistically significant differences (p < .05) between self-reported physical activity pre-program (4.12 ± 2.10), post-program (5.06 ± 2.04), and at follow-up (4.40 ± 1.98). Notably, a defined Low Active pre-program activity group significantly increased from pre- (1.21 ± 0.87) to post-program (4.29 ± 2.06). Despite a decrease from post-program to follow-up (3.06 ± 1.86; δ = -1.24 days), the difference remained higher and statistically significant from pre-program. Further analysis explored limitations associated with estimating one's physical activity change in behavior. Conclusions: The results support the sustained effectiveness of the Walk Across Texas program. Overall, participants showed increased and maintained physical activity for up to 150 days from pre-program.

Keywords: COMMUNITY-BASED; FOLLOW-UP; ONLINE; PHYSICAL ACTIVITY; PROGRAM EVALUATION

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Family and Community Health, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, College Station, TX, United States 2: College of Arts & Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States

Publication date: December 1, 2023

This article was made available online on December 31, 2023 as a Fast Track article with title: "Sustained Effectiveness of the Walk Across Texas Program: A Follow-up Study".

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  • The American Journal of Health Behavior seeks to improve the quality of life through multidisciplinary health efforts in fostering a better understanding of the multidimensional nature of both individuals and social systems as they relate to health behaviors.

    The Journal aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impact of personal attributes, personality characteristics, behavior patterns, social structure, and processes on health maintenance, health restoration, and health improvement; to disseminate knowledge of holistic, multidisciplinary approaches to designing and implementing effective health programs; and to showcase health behavior analysis skills that have been proven to affect health improvement and recovery.

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