摘要：Objectives. Translating efficacious interventions into practice within community settings is a major public health challenge. We evaluated the effects of 2 evidence-based physical activity interventions on self-reported physical activity and related outcomes in midlife and older adults. Methods. Four community-based organizations implemented Active Choices, a 6-month, telephone-based program, and 5 implemented Active Living Every Day, a 20-week, group-based program. Both programs emphasize behavioral skills necessary to become more physically active. Participants completed pretest and posttest surveys. Results. Participants (n=838) were aged an average of 68.4 ±9.4 years, 80.6% were women, and 64.1% were non-Hispanic White. Seventy-two percent returned posttest surveys. Intent-to-treat analyses found statistically significant increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and total physical activity, decreases in depressive symptoms and stress, increases in satisfaction with body appearance and function, and decreases in body mass index. Conclusions. The first year of Active for Life demonstrated that Active Choices and Active Living Every Day, 2 evidence-based physical activity programs, can be successfully translated into community settings with diverse populations. Further, the magnitudes of change in outcomes were similar to those reported in the efficacy trials. A comprehensive review concluded that individually adapted behavior-change programs are effective and strongly recommended for increasing physical activity at the community level. 1 The efficacy of these programs has been documented in older populations, 2 , 3 yet evidence-based physical activity interventions have not been widely applied and tested in public health practice and other nonresearch settings. 4 It is unclear whether evidence-based programs can produce similar outcomes and reach broad target populations when delivered in community practice settings. 5 It is necessary to understand and evaluate translational efforts of efficacious physical activity interventions 5 – 8 to determine their public health impact. 9 The National Blueprint 10 was developed in 2001 with input from 46 organizations. It outlines broad strategies that are expected to increase physical activity among older adults. Despite being an influential document in the area of physical activity and aging, physical activity programming for older adults in the community is typically not evidence-based, does not incorporate behavior-change theory, and does not include evaluation. 11 Increased physical activity at the population level is only likely to occur when efficacious interventions are translated for widespread use in community settings. 6 Active for Life was designed to address major gaps in the science and practice literatures by examining the translation of 2 efficacious, theory-based 12 , 13 physical activity interventions to community settings. The primary aims of the outcome evaluation were (1) to evaluate 2 evidence-based physical activity interventions on self-reported physical activity in community settings, (2) to evaluate the impact of these interventions on specific quality-of-life outcomes related to physical activity, and (3) to determine whether the program reaches a more diverse sample of older adults than was reached in controlled research settings. It was hypothesized that both physical activity programs would lead to increased physical activity and improved physical activity–related outcomes and that Active for Life would recruit a more diverse sample compared with the evidence-based programs on which it was based. The outcomes for the first year are described.
