NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Moms with young children who join forces in an effort to get more exercise may gain some benefits, at least in the short run, new study findings from Australia suggest.

Young women between the ages of 18 and 22 with children are particularly unlikely to be adequately physically active, according to lead investigator Dr. Wendy J. Brown of the University of Queensland and colleagues.

"Less than half (46%) of this group of women engaged in adequate physical activity compared with 56% of women without children," the authors report in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

In their report, Brown's team wondered what effect, if any, organized group discussions to motivate women to get more exercise would have on otherwise busy moms.

A total of 554 women were enrolled into one of three groups. One group of women received an informative booklet that outlined ways to "overcome physical activity barriers." Another group got the same booklet and also met once a week in a support group that focused on how mothers with young children could boost their physical exercise habits. A third group, which acted as the "control" group, received nothing.

After 8 weeks, 60% of women who participated in the group motivational sessions reported getting an amount of exercise considered to be adequate for a health benefit, compared with only 50% of the women who only received the booklet, and 46% of the control group.

However, after 5 months, the women were back to physical activity levels seen before the study started, Brown and colleagues found.

Nevertheless, the researchers note that community support groups "are promising strategies" for increasing physical activity among women with young children.

SOURCE: American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2002;23.

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