Abstract
The purpose of this study was to summarize findings from empirical applications of the transtheoretical model (TTM) (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983) in the physical activity domain by using the quantitative method of meta-analysis. Ninety-one independent samples from 71 published reports were located that present empirical data on at least one core construct of the TTM applied to exercise and physical activity. In general, results support the application because core constructs differ across stages and most changes are in the direction predicted by the theory. Three general conclusions are offered. First, existing data are unable to confirm whether physical activity behavior change occurs in a series of stages that are qualitatively different or along adjacent segments of an underlying continuum. Second, the growing number of studies that incorporate TTM concepts means that there is an increasing need to standardize and improve the reliability of measurement. Finally, the role of processes of change needs reexamining because the higher order constructs are not apparent in the physical activity domain and stage-by-process interactions are not evident. There now are sufficient data to confirm that stage membership is associated with different levels of physical activity, self-efficacy, pros and cons, and processes of change. Further studies that simply stage participants or examine cross-sectional differences between core constructs of the TTM are of limited use. Future research should examine the moderators and mediators of stage transition.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
References indicated by an asterisk are included in the stage distribution analysis or meta-analysis.
Caspersen CJ, Merritt RK, Stephens T: International physical activity patterns: A methodological perspective. In Dishman RK (ed),Advances in Exercise Adherence. Champaign IL: Human Kinetics, 1994, 73–110.
Sports Council and Health Education Authority:Allied Dunbar National Fitness Survey: Main Findings. London: Health Education Authority, 1992.
Sallis JF, Owen N:Physical Activity and Behavioral Medicine. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 1999.
Prochaska JO, DiClemente CC: Stages and processes of self-change in smoking: Toward an integrative model of change.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1983,5:390–395.
Sonstroem RJ: Psychological models. In Dishman RK (ed),Exercise Adherence. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1988, 125–154.
Buxton KE, Wyse J, Mercer T: How applicable is the stages of change model to exercise behavior? A review.Health Education Journal. 1996,55:239–257.
Marcus BH, Simkin LR: The transtheoretical model: Applications to exercise behavior.Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 1994,26:1400–1404.
Prochaska JO, Marcus BH: The transtheoretical model: Applications to exercise. In Dishman RK (ed),Advances in Exercise Adherence. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1994, 161–180.
Reed GR: Adherence to exercise and the transtheoretical model of behavior change. In Bull SJ (ed),Adherence Issues in Sport and Exercise. Chichester, England: Wiley, 1999, 19–45.
Prochaska JO, DiClemente CC, Norcross JC: In search of how people change. Applications to addictive behaviors.American Psychologist. 1992,47:1102–1114.
*Cardinal BJ: Construct validity of stages of change for exercise behavior.American Journal of Health Promotion. 1997,12:68–74.
*Marcus BH, Simkin LR: The stages of exercise behavior.Journal of Sports Medicine Physical Fitness. 1993,33:83–88.
*Wyse J, Mercer T, Ashford B, Buxton K, Gleeson N: Evidence for the validity and utility of the stages of exercise behavior change scale in young adults.Health Education Research. 1995,10: 365–377.
Reed GR, Velicer WF, Prochaska JO, Rossi JS, Marcus BH: What makes a good staging algorithm? Examples from regular exercise.American Journal of Health Promotion. 1997,12:57–66.
*Buxton KE, Mercer TH, Wyse JP: Assessment of the stage of exercise behavior change in young adult females. In Bell FI, van Gyn GH (eds),Access to Active Living: Proceedings for the 10th Commonwealth & International Scientific Congress. Victoria, BC, Canada: University of Victoria, 1994, 256–261.
Bandura A: The anatomy of stages of change [Editorial].American Journal of Health Promotion. 1997,12: 8–10.
Bandura A: Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change.Psychological Review. 1977,84: 191–215.
*Marcus BH, Eaton CA, Rossi JS, Harlow LL: Self-efficacy decision-making and stages of change: An integrative model of physical exercise.Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 1994,24:489–508.
*Marcus BH, Owen N: Motivational readiness self-efficacy and decision-making for exercise.Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 1992,22:3–16.
*Marcus BH, Selby VC, Niaura RS, Rossi JS: Self-efficacy and the stages of exercise behavior change.Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 1992,63:60–66.
*Nigg CR, Courneya KS: Transtheoretical Model: Examining adolescent exercise behavior.Journal of Adolescent Health. 1998,22:214–224.
Janis IL, Mann L:Decision Making: A Psychological Analysis of Conflict Choice and Commitment. New York: Collier Macmillan, 1977.
*Marcus BH, Rakowski W, Rossi JS: Assessing motivational readiness and decision making for exercise.Health Psychology. 1992,11:257–261.
O’Connell D, Velicer WF: A decisional balance measure and the stages of change model for weight loss.The International Journal of Addictions. 1988,23:729–750.
Velicer WF, DiClemente CC, Prochaska JO, Brandenberg N: Decisional balance measure for assessing and predicting smoking status.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1985,48:1279–1289.
Prochaska JO, Velicer WF, DiClemente CC, Fava JL: Measuring processes of change: Applications to the cessation of smoking.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 1988,56:520–528.
Biddle SJH, Nigg CR: Theories of exercise behavior.International Journal of Sport Psychology. 2000,31:290–304.
*Marcus BH, Rossi JS, Selby VC, Niaura RS, Abrams DB: The stages and processes of exercise adoption and maintenance in a worksite sample.Health Psychology. 1992,11:386–395.
*Gorley P, Gordon S: An examination of the transtheoretical model and exercise behavior in older adults.Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 1995,17:312–324.
Ashworth P: Breakthrough or bandwagon? Are interventions tailored to stage of change more effective than non-staged interventions?Health Education Journal. 1997,56:166–174.
Sutton SR: Can ‘stages of change’ provide guidance in the treatment of addictions? A critical examination of Prochaska and DiClemente’s model. In Edwards G, Dare C (eds),Psychotherapy Psychological Treatments and Addictions. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1996, 189–205.
Weinstein ND, Rothman AJ, Sutton SR: Stage theories of health behavior: Conceptual and methodological issues.Health Psychology. 1998,17:290–299.
Smedslund G: Some psychological theories are not empirical: A conceptual analysis of the “stages of change” model.Theory and Psychology. 1997,7:529–544.
Schmidt FL: Statistical significance testing and cumulative knowledge in psychology: Implications for training or researchers.Psychological Methods. 1996,1:115–129.
Hunter JE, Schmidt FL:Methods of Meta-Analysis: Correcting Error and Bias in Research Findings. Newbury Park, CA: Sage, 1990.
Ajzen I: The theory of planned behavior.Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Making Processes. 1989,50:179–211.
Barke CR, Nicholas DR: Physical activity in older adults: The stages of change.The Journal of Applied Gerontology. 1990,9:216–223.
Rosenthal R: The “file drawer problem” and tolerance for null results.Psychological Bulletin. 1979,86:638–641.
Cooper H, Hedges LV (eds):The Handbook of Research Synthesis. New York: Russell Sage, 1994.
Easterbrook PJ, Berlin JA, Goplan R, Matthews DR: Publication bias in clinical research.Lancet. 1991,337:867–872.
Cohen J:Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (2nd Ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc., 1988.
*Laforge RG, Velicer WF, Richmond RL, Owen N: Stage distributions for five health behaviors in the United States and Australia.Preventive Medicine. 1999,28:61–74.
Sarkin JA, Marshall SJ, Larson KA, Calfas KJ, Sallis JF: A comparison of methods of recruitment to a health program for university seniors.Preventive Medicine. 1998,27:562–571.
SPSS:Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Version 9.0 for Windows. Chicago: SPSS, Inc., 1998.
Cramer V:Fundamental Statistics for Social Research. London: Routledge, 1998.
Hedges LV, Olkin I:Statistical Methods for Meta-Analysis. Orlando, FL: Academic, 1985.
Whitener EM: Confusion of confidence intervals and credibility intervals in meta-analysis.Journal of Applied Psychology. 1990,75:315–321.
Schmidt FL, Hunter JE: Development of a general solution to the problem of validity generalization.Journal of Applied Psychology. 1977,62:529–540.
Sackett PR, Harris MM, Orr JM: On seeking moderator variables in the meta-analysis of correlational data: A Monte Carlo investigation of statistical power and resistance to type I error.Journal of Applied Psychology. 1986,71: 302–310.
*Armstrong CA, Sallis JA, Hovell MF, Hofstetter CR: Stages of change self-efficacy and the adoption of vigorous exercise: A prospective analysis.Journal of Sport Exercise Psychology. 1993,15:390–402.
*Booth ML, Macaskill P, Owen N, et al.: Population prevalence and correlates of stages of change in physical activity.Health Education Quarterly. 1993,20:431–440.
*Boyle RG, O’Connor PJ, Pronk NP, Tan A: Stages of change for physical activity diet and smoking among HMO members with chronic conditions.American Journal of Health Promotion. 1998,12:170–175.
*Burn GE, Naylor P-J, Page A: Assessment of stages of change for exercise within a worksite lifestyle screening program.American Journal of Health Promotion. 1999,13:143–145.
*Buxton KE, Wyse JP, Mercer TH, Hale BD: Assessing the stages of exercise behavior change and the stages of physical activity behavior change in a British worksite sample [Abstract].Journal of Sport Sciences. 1995,13:S50-S51.
*Calfas KJ, Sallis JF, Lovato CY, Campbell J: Physical activity and its determinants before and after college graduation.Medicine, Exercise, Nutrition & Health. 1994,3:323–334.
*Cardinal BJ: The stages of exercise scale and stages of exercise behavior in female adults.Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. 1995,35:87–92.
*Cardinal BJ: Behavioral and biometric comparisons of the preparation action and maintenance stages of exercise.Wellness Perspectives: Research, Theory and Practice. 1995,11(3):36–44.
*Cardinal BJ: Predicting exercise behavior using components of the transtheoretical model of behavior change.Journal of Sport Behavior. 1997,20:272–283.
*Cardinal BJ: Interaction between stage of exercise and history of relapse.Journal of Human Movement Studies. 1998,34:175–185.
*Cardinal BJ: Extended stage model of physical activity behavior.Journal of Human Movement Studies. 1999,37:37–54.
*Cardinal BJ, Sachs ML: Prospective analysis of stage-of-exercise movement following mail-delivered self-instructional exercise packets.American Journal of Health Promotion. 1995,9:430–432.
*Cardinal BJ, Engels HJ, Zhu W: Application of the transtheoretical model of behavior change to preadolescents’ physical activity and exercise behavior.Pediatric Exercise Science. 1998,10:69–80.
*Christopoulou M, McKenna J, Naylor PJ: Assessing self-efficacy and the stages of exercise behavior change [Abstract].Journal of Sport Sciences. 1996,14(1):S23-S24.
*Clarke P, Eves F: Applying the transtheoretical model to the study of exercise on prescription.Journal of Health Psychology. 1997,2:195–207.
*Cole G, Leonard B, Hammond S, Fridinger F: Using stages of behavioral change constructs to measure the short-term effects of a worksite-based intervention to increase moderate physical activity.Psychological Reports. 1998,82:615–618.
*Courneya KS: Understanding readiness for regular physical activity in older individuals: An application of the Theory of Planned Behavior.Health Psychology. 1995,14:80–87.
*Cowan R, Logue E, Milo L, Britton PJ, Smucker W: Exercise stage of change and self-efficacy in primary care: Implications for intervention.Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings. 1997,4: 295–311.
*Donovan RJ, Jones S, Holman CD, Corti B: Assessing the reliability of a stage of change scale.Health Education Research. 1998,13:285–291.
*Emmons KM, Marcus BH, Linnan L, et al.: Mechanisms in multiple risk factor interventions: Smoking physical activity and dietary fat among manufacturing workers.Preventive Medicine. 1994,28:481–489.
*Eves F, Mant S, Clarke P: Barriers to exercise at different stages of exercise behavior [Abstract].Journal of Sport Sciences. 1996,14(1):S29.
*Goldberg JM, Christopher MRJ, Aznar S, et al.: The processes of exercise behavior change used by years 7 and 17 adolescents [Abstract].Journal of Sport Sciences. 1996,14(1):S30.
*Goldstein GG, Pinto BM, Marcus BH, et al.: Physician-based physical activity counseling for middle-aged and older adults: A randomized trial.Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 1999,21:40–47.
*Hausenblas HA, Dannecker EA, Connaughton DP, Lovins TR: Examining the validity of the stages of change algorithm.American Journal of Health Studies. 1999,15:94–99.
*Hellman EA: Use of the stages of change in exercise adherence model among older adults with a cardiac diagnosis.Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. 1997,17:145–155.
*Herrick AB, Stone WJ, Mettler MM: Stages of change decisional balance and self-efficacy across four health behaviors in a worksite environment.American Journal of Health Promotion. 1997,12:49–56.
*Ingledew DK, Markland D, Medley AR: Exercise motives and stages of change.Journal of Health Psychology. 1998,3:477–489.
*Jue NH, Cunningham SL: Stages of exercise behavior change at two time periods following coronary artery bypass graft surgery.Progress in Cardiovascular Nursing. 1998,13(1):23–33.
*Kearney JM, de Graaf C, Damkjaer S, Engstrom LM: Stages of change towards physical activity in a nationally representative sample in the European Union.Public Health Nutrition. 1999,2(1a):115–124.
*King TK, Marcus BH, Pinto BM, Emmons KM, Abrams DB: Cognitive-behavioral mediators of changing multiple behaviors: Smoking and a sedentary lifestyle.Preventive Medicine. 1996,25:684–691.
*Lee C: Attitudes knowledge and stages of change: A survey of exercise patterns in older Australian women.Health Psychology. 1993,12:476–480.
*Marcus BH, Banspach SW, Lefebvre RC, et al.: Using the stages of change model to increase the adoption of physical activity among community participants.American Journal of Health Promotion. 1992,6:424–429.
*Marcus BH, Pinto BM, Simkin LR, Audrain JE, Taylor ER: Application of theoretical models to exercise behavior among employed women.American Journal of Health Promotion. 1994,9:49–55.
*Marcus BH, Simkin LR, Rossi JS, Pinto BM: Longitudinal shifts in employees’ stages and processes of exercise behavior change.American Journal of Health Promotion. 1996,10:195–200.
*Marcus BH, King TK, Albrecht AE, Parisi AF, Abrams DB: Rationale design and baseline data for Commit to Quit: An exercise efficacy trial for smoking cessation among women.Preventive Medicine. 1997,26: 586–597.
*McDowell N, McKenna J, Naylor PJ: Factors that influence practice nurses to promote physical activity.British Journal of Sports Medicine. 1997,31:308–313.
*McKenna J, Naylor PJ, McDowell N: Barriers to physical activity promotion by general practitioners and practice nurses.British Journal of Sports Medicine. 1998,32:242–247.
*Mullan E, Markland D: Variations in self-determination across the stages of change for exercise in adults.Motivation and Emotion. 1997,21:349–262.
*Mutrie N, Cadell C: Stages of exercise behavior change in corporate employees [Abstract].Journal of Sports Science. 1994,12:S202-S203.
*Myers RS, Roth DL: Perceived benefits of and barriers to exercise and stage of exercise adoption in young adults.Health Psychology. 1997,16:277–283.
*Naylor PJ, McKenna J: Stages of change self-efficacy and behavioral preferences for exercise among British university students [Abstract].Journal of Sport Sciences. 1995,13(1):S68.
*Naylor PJ, McKenna J, Barnes K, Christopher M: Decision balance and self-reported physical activity levels: Validating the stages of change for exercise in British university students [Abstract].Journal of Sport Sciences. 1995,13(1):S68-S69.
*Nguyen MN, Potvin L, Otis J: Regular exercise in 30- to 60-yr old men: Combining the stages-of-change model and the theory of planned behavior to identify determinants for targeting heart health interventions.Journal of Community Health. 1997,22:233–246.
*Peterson TR, Aldana SG: Improving exercise behavior: An application of the stages of change model in a worksite setting.American Journal of Health Promotion. 1999,13:229–232.
*Pinto BM, Marcus BH: A stages of change approach to understanding students’ physical activity.Journal of American College Health. 1995,44:27–31.
*Potvin L, Gauvin L, Nguyen NM: Prevalence of stages of change for physical activity in rural suburban and inner city communities.Journal of Community Health. 1997,22:1–13.
*Simmonds GJ, Naylor PJ, Riddoch CJ, Velleman G: Stage-based counselling for exercise in primary care: A controlled trial.Journal of Sport Sciences. 1996,14:45–46.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 1996.
*Buxton KE, Mercer TH, Hale BD, Wyse JP, Ashford B: Evidence for the concurrent validity and measurement reliability of a stages of exercise behavior change instrument [Abstract].Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 1994,16:S35.
*Buxton KE, Mercer TH, Hale BD, Wyse JP, Ashford B: Preliminary validation of a stages of physical activity behavior change scale (SPABC) [Abstract].Journal of Sport Exercise Psychology. 1994,16:S36.
Prochaska JO: Strong and weak principles for progressing from precontemplation to action on the basis of 12 problem behaviors.Health Psychology. 1994,13:47–51.
Biddle SJH: Motivation and perceptions of control: Tracing its development and plotting its future in exercise and sport psychology.Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 1999,21:1–23.
Deci EL, Ryan RM:Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. New York: Plenum Press, 1985.
Sutton, S: Interpreting cross-sectional data on stages of change.Psychology and Health. 2000,15: 163–171.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
We acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Nikos Chatzisarantis and Dr. Trish Gorely for their helpful comments in preparation of this article.
About this article
Cite this article
Marshall, S.J., Biddle, S.J.H. The transtheoretical model of behavior change: a meta-analysis of applications to physical activity and exercise. ann. behav. med. 23, 229–246 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2304_2
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2304_2