An Empirical Assessment of a Home-Based Exercise Treatment Package for People with Severe Mobility-Related Disabilities Using a Changing Criterion Design: Two Studies

Abstract

A single-subject changing criterion design was used in two studies to empirically assess a home-based exercise treatment package for sedentary participants with severe mobility-related disabilities. The independent variable in both studies included a behavioral contract, education, goal setting, self-monitoring, reinforcement, and contingent attention. Both studies enrolled 2 participants and used seated exercise programs on videotape to deliver the intervention. In study 1, participants incrementally increased their exercise to a mean of three 17-minutes sessions per week over 14 weeks. In study 2, participants increased their weekly exercise to five 20-minutes sessions per week, and five 35-minute sessions per week, respectively, over 16 weeks. The second study also incorporated objective data collected with motion devices to validate participant self-reports of exercise. These findings indicate that a home-based exercise treatment package can assist individuals with severe mobility-related disabilities to increase exercise minutes and sessions, to work toward recommended physical activity goals for all Americans of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week.