Abstract
This short report describes exercise levels reported by a group of outpatients with NIDDM who completed two measures of exercise frequency; a single retrospective item about activity levels in the last three months, and a two week prospective diary. Of 46 respondents, 21 were female and 25 male, with a mean age of 60.3 years; 82% had been diagnosed in the previous 12 months; 59% were treated with diet and exercise instruction and 41% had additional oral agent therapy. The proportions reporting exercising one or more days per week were: 63% by questionnaire recall (95% Cl 49.5β76.5); 94% by prospective diary (95% Cl 77β107). The proportions exercising five days or more per week were: 24% by recall (95% Cl 11.7β36.3); 70% by prospective diary (95% Cl 56.6β83.2) Eightyβtwo percent of those people reporting no exercise at baseline had adopted some exercise during the two week diary phase. In conclusion, it would appear that the stimulus of prospective diary entries had an impact on exercise frequency, but it is unknown to what degree the diary increased exercise adoption in the longerβterm. This report highlights two areas for further investigation in NIDDM: understanding how different techniques such as diaries can motivate and sustain exercise adoption and maintenance, and the need to collect comprehensive data on exercise patterns over time.