Applying exercise stage of change to a low-income underserved population.

Objectives: To validate the transtheoretical model for exercise behavior and the constructs of decisional balance and self-efficacy for exercise in a low-income, poorly educated primary care sample.

Methods: Patients attending public primary-care clinics from 4 separate sites in Louisiana were interviewed regarding their health behaviors.

Results: The data provide equivocal support for applying the transtheoretical model for exercise and integrating it with other models of behavior change within this population.

Conclusions: Further studies modifying the decisional balance measures are necessary before definitive statements regarding the applicability of these models to exercise within this specialized population can be made.