What are behavior change strategies and why are they important?

Behavior change strategies are techniques used to influence thoughts and emotions related to behavior. They are important because they provide active components for interventions. When combined with exercise, behavior change strategies enhance the effectiveness of physical activity programs, especially for those facing neurological challenges. Examples include goal setting, planning, and progress check-ins during tailored counseling sessions.

Who was involved in the training, and how were they trained in behavior change strategies?

The training involved a mix of healthcare professionals like physical therapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation assistants, exercise specialists, and graduate students in exercise psychology. The training included manuals describing theoretical knowledge and instructions for behavioral coaching sessions, in-person sessions with researchers or BCS experts, group activities, and rehearsal with peers. Training also focused on specific behavior change theories and frameworks. Social Cognitive Theory was the most common.

What is Social Cognitive Theory, and why is it significant in the context of promoting physical activity?

Social Cognitive Theory is a popular behavior change theory. It emphasizes the dynamic interaction between personal factors, behavior, and the environment. It plays a key role in shaping interventions aimed at promoting physical activity. This theory helps in understanding how individuals learn and adopt new behaviors. When combined with the Health Action Process Approach, it can be an effective framework for influencing behavior.

Is there direct evidence of the effectiveness of healthcare professionals training in behavior change strategies?

Currently, there is limited direct evaluation of healthcare professional training effectiveness in using behavior change strategies. Instead, effectiveness is often observed indirectly through patient behavior changes. The scarcity of detailed information on healthcare professional interventions makes it difficult to determine improvements. Future research is needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of training programs. Future research should have a focus on customized approaches.

Healthcare professionals empowering patients through movement and collaboration in a rehabilitation center.

Unlock Movement: Training Healthcare Pros for Neurorehabilitation Success

Q: How did the researchers evaluate the effectiveness of the training programs?

The studies used several databases and a detailed data extraction template following the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group's guidelines. A framework called WIDER (Workgroup for Intervention Development and Evaluation Research) was used to measure effectiveness. The WIDER framework is designed to look at several aspects of intervention development. Future interventions should directly measure HCP's training effectiveness.

Lena Voss in Health & Wellness December 2025 • 4 min read.

"Empowering Physical Activity Through Behavior Change Strategies"

Boosting physical activity is key for folks, especially those dealing with neurological challenges. Think of it as exercise superheroes influencing neurotrophic, neuroprotective, and disease-modifying effects, not to mention the usual health perks. However, the path to get moving isn't always a walk in the park, due to things like physical limitations (balance and mental (cognitive) challenges. So, finding the extra sauce to get people hooked on long-term physical activity is an important mission.

Educating clients about exercise? That's just the start. To make a real splash, combine workout plans with effective behavior change strategies (BCS). A behavior change strategy is a carefully designed technique to tackle the mental and emotional aspects of behavior, such as tailored counseling with goal setting, planning, and progress check ins. These active components are like secret ingredients for behavior change interventions, ensuring more effective routes to get people moving.

A recent study shines a light on training healthcare professionals (HCPs) to confidently use these BCS techniques. We’re diving deep to uncover the methods used to train HCPs, with a focus on boosting their know-how, confidence, and implementation of BCS to promote physical activity for people with neurological conditions. We're exploring the 'who, how, what, and when' of HCP interventionist training, aiming to supercharge future physical activity programs for neurological populations.

Decoding the Training Puzzle: Who, How, What, and When?

Healthcare professionals empowering patients through movement and collaboration in a rehabilitation center.

Researchers dug through eight databases, hunting for studies that detailed how HCPs were trained on BCS, zeroing in on physical activity and exercise for those with neurological conditions. After sifting through thousands of articles, 13 stood out. Although no studies specifically targeted HCP training in BCS for neurological populations, these articles provided valuable insights into training HCP interventionists.

The researchers used a detailed data extraction template and the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group's guidelines. Because direct studies on HCP training in BCS for neurological populations were absent, information was gathered from studies describing how HCP interventionists were trained as part of broader behavior change interventions. This allowed the researchers to organize the extracted data according to a "who, how, what, and when" framework.

Who Was Trained? The studies featured a mix of healthcare pros, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, rehabilitation assistants, exercise specialists, and even graduate students in exercise psychology.
How Were They Trained? Common training elements included multiple resources, training sessions, expert input, and ongoing support. Manuals describing theoretical knowledge and instructions for behavioral coaching sessions were particularly common. Training methods included in-person sessions with researchers or BCS experts, group activities, and rehearsal with peers.
What Techniques Did They Learn? The interventions were based on five different behavior change theories and frameworks. Social Cognitive Theory was the most popular, often combined with the Health Action Process Approach.
When Did Training Happen? Details on timing were scarce, but when reported, training ranged from single-day sessions to 18 hours of instruction over several months.

However, what was noticeably missing was a direct evaluation of HCP training effectiveness. Evaluation was measured indirectly, through observing behavior changes in patients. A comprehensive framework was used to measure effectiveness called WIDER(Workgroup for Intervention Development and Evaluation Research). This revealed limited details of HCP interventions making improvements difficult.

Empowering Professionals, Enhancing Lives

To successfully implement BCS strategies in clinical practice and improve long-term results, there's a need for future studies, highlighting strategies, better implementation, and customized approaches. Let's equip professionals with the training and skills they need to promote physical activity effectively, revolutionizing neurorehabilitation.