Outcomes of a program to enhance exercise self-efficacy and improve fitness in Black and Hispanic college-age women.

A quasi-experimental design was used to test the outcomes of an exercise program directed towards Black and Hispanic college-age women. Forty-four women (36 Black, 7 Hispanic, and 1 Black/Hispanic) attended exercise classes three times per week for 16 weeks. At program completion, women were classified as either high attendees (n = 26) or low attendees (n = 18). Compared to low attendees, the high attendees had significantly higher exercise self-efficacy (p <.001), perceived benefits and barriers (p =.004), aerobic fitness, flexibility, muscle strength, and percentage of body fat (all p <.001). Daily activity levels improved significantly in the high attendance group following the program (p <.001) and at 8 weeks post-program completion (p =.01). Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.