Process evaluation of a community-based physical activity campaign: the Minnesota Heart Health Program experience

Abstract

This paper is a process evaluation of a physical activity campaign which was part of a larger program intended to increase exercise behavior in a whole community. Five specific exercise opportunities were introduced and promoted in the community over a 3-month period. Their effectiveness was assessed in terms of community awareness and participation. Data derived from telephone surveys of randomly selected households and from direct observation of participation at the activities themselves showed that community awareness was highest for events offered to the entire population and heavily publicized. Participation, however, was highest for activities organized within existing formal organizations, such as worksites. It is concluded that a multifaceted approach to promoting exercise in entire communities can be effective in involving major segments of the population in exercise activities.