Active living becomes achievable (ALBA) : an evaluation of the effectiveness of a behaviour change intervention at promoting physical activity for improved mental wellbeing

Peddie, Nicola and Snowden, Austyn and Westbury, Tony (2021) Active living becomes achievable (ALBA) : an evaluation of the effectiveness of a behaviour change intervention at promoting physical activity for improved mental wellbeing. Journal of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Mental Health. ISSN 2198-9834 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s40737-021-00246-4)

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Abstract

Physical activity (PA) has been shown to be beneficial for physical and mental wellbeing. However, there is evidence to indicate people with mental health conditions are significantly less active than the general population. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of Active Living Becomes Achievable (ALBA), a behaviour change intervention designed to specifically target individuals with mental and physical health conditions to increase motivation and adherence to physical activity to improve physical and mental wellbeing. 318 participants were recruited through existing exercise referral schemes in three areas of Scotland. A quantitative outcome evaluation, with a before and after design was carried out to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Participants completed 5 outcome measures—the Scottish Physical Activity Questionnaire (SPAQ), the Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE), the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) and the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale—and wore an activity tracker for 16 weeks. Participants who opted into the long-term study were monitored for up to 12-months. ALBA significantly improved mental wellbeing, patient activation and self-efficacy. Although the intervention did not appear to increase adherence to PA. The ALBA intervention was effective at improving mental wellbeing but did not have a significant effect on PA levels. This suggests that the additional support offered through the ALBA intervention was key to improving wellbeing.

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