Promoting Physical Activity in Rural Communities

Multilevel Approaches for Promoting Physical Activity in Rural Communities

The purpose of the study is to test a multilevel intervention's impact on increasing physical activity among rural residents. It is expected that participants who participate in more of the intervention (e.g., all levels) will increase their physical activity more than the control group and individuals who participate in less of the intervention (e.g., one level of the intervention).

The study will test the independent and moderating effects of a multilevel intervention and the community environment on physical activity among rural residents. The multilevel intervention consists of community, interpersonal, and intrapersonal aspects. The community level intervention consists of community events. The interpersonal level intervention consists of walking group formation. The intrapersonal level intervention consists of cues provided by short message service messages (i.e., text messaging). A dose response relationship is expected in the intervention communities.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults (18+)
• No cognitive impairments
• Able to physically active
• Willing to complete telephone survey at three time points
• Located in targeted communities in southeast Missouri

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants not located in targeted communities