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Objective: Although regular physical activity is an effective secondary prevention strategy for patients with a chronic disease, it is unclear whether patients change their daily physical activity after being diagnosed. Therefore, the aims of this study were to (1) describe changes in levels of physical activity in middle-aged women before and after diagnosis with a chronic disease (heart disease, diabetes, asthma, breast cancer, arthritis, depression); and to (2) examine whether diagnosis with a chronic disease affects levels of physical activity in these women., Methods: Data from 5 surveys (1998-2010) of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were used. Participants (N=4840, born 1946-1951) completed surveys every three years, with questions about diseases and leisure time physical activity. The main outcome measure was physical activity, categorized as: nil/sedentary, low active, moderately active, highly active., Results: At each survey approximately half the middle-aged women did not meet the recommended level of physical activity. Between consecutive surveys, 41%-46% of the women did not change, 24%-30% decreased, and 24%-31% increased their physical activity level. These proportions of change were similar directly after diagnosis with a chronic disease, and in the years before or after diagnosis. Generalized estimating equations showed that there was no statistically significant effect of diagnosis with a chronic disease on levels of physical activity in women., Conclusion: Despite the importance of physical activity for the management of chronic diseases, most women did not increase their physical activity after diagnosis. This illustrates a need for tailored interventions to enhance physical activity in newly diagnosed patients., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: A significant proportion of older adults in The Netherlands does not regularly participate in leisure-time physical activity. The Groningen Active Living Model (GALM) was developed to change this situation for the better. In this article the first results with respect to the validation of the model are presented., Methods: We obtained cross-sectional data from a sample of 392 potential participants. Scores on the potentially causal variables (self-efficacy, social support, perceived fitness, and enjoyment) and the stages of change give a first indication of the potential validity of the GALM behavioral change model., Results: Seventeen percent of the subjects could be categorized as in the precontemplation stage, 42% in the contemplation/preparation stage, and 39% in the action/maintenance stage. Data with respect to stages of change were missing for 2% of the subjects. Scores on all potentially causal variables rose significantly from the precontemplation to the action/maintenance stage. Discriminant analysis resulted in a canonical correlation of 0.58 between the precontemplation and the contemplation/preparation stages and 0.59 between the contemplation/preparation and action/maintenance stages; respectively, 82.6 and 78.3% of the subjects had been classified correctly., Conclusions: The results found in this study support our hypothesis, as described in the conceptual theory of the GALM behavioral change model. For a more comprehensive validation of the model's action theory and conceptual theory, follow-up measurements are required., (Copyright 2000 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.)

Background: A significant number of Dutch older adults can be considered sedentary when it comes to regular participation in leisure-time physical activity. Sedentariness is considered a potential public health burden-all the more reason to develop a strategy for stimulating older adults toward becoming more involved in leisure-time physical activity. The Groningen Active Living Model (GALM) is a behavioral change strategy for stimulating participation in leisure-time physical activity., Methods: The GALM strategy is based on a process model of behavioral change in which behavioral change is seen as a multidimensional and dynamic process. The strategy has three phases: recruitment, introduction, and follow-up, and lasts 18 months., Results: Preliminary results indicate that, up until the summer of 1998, about 4000 older adults were participating in 76 local GALM projects. Further research will be done to assess the validity of the model and its effects on the leisure-time physical activity pattern, ADL performance, and health in newly active older adults., Conclusions: The GALM strategy is a feasible strategy for stimulating leisure-time physical activity participation on a large-scale basis. The strategy is being implemented in The Netherlands on a nationwide basis.