Abstract:
ABSTRACT
A MANUAL FOR EXERCISE ADHERENCE CONSULTING WITH
COLLEGE STUDENTS
by
Petra Gaeddert Kowalski
Master of Arts in Kinesiology
California State University, Chico
Spring 2009
The high rates of physical inactivity and associated chronic diseases among
people of all ages in the United States are at the forefront of health-related news.
College students are not immune to inactivity as almost half of students are not
regularly active and approximately 80% will remain inactive after college. There have
been many attempts to increase physical activity levels in the adult population, but
interventions with college students are lacking and specific guidelines for exercise
adherence consultants are not readily available. To contribute to the need for exercise
adherence interventions among college students, a manual was developed geared
towards consultants. The manual developed was designed for exercise adherence
consultants with specialized training in exercise psychology when working individually
with college students to help them increase or maintain physical activity levels. The
manual’s target
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population, intended audience, theoretical basis, and intervention methods are based on
research in theories and methods of physical activity interventions. The creation of this
manual was developed by compiling research-based intervention methods and
techniques, adapting existing interventions to be more relevant to college students,
developing original interventions for the target population, and writing instructions to
guide trained consultants in their applied use of the interventions. The final manual
contains sections for each type of intervention technique and each section is divided
into instructional notes, example intervention forms, and blank intervention forms.
