Table 2.

Relationship of general lifestyle strategies during follow-up to alcohol outcomes

General lifestyle change strategy					Partial correlation of strategy frequency with alcohol use days
	Months 4–6		Months 7–12

	Abstinent M	Lapsed M	Abstinent M	Lapsed M	Months 0–6 pr	Months 7–12 pr
Significantly related
Negative consequence thoughts	5.7	4.7^*	5.6	5.0	−.29^*	−.24^*
Positive consequence thoughts	6.0	4.6^**	6.2	4.7^**	−.50^**	−.46^**
Sober ways for a good time	5.6	4.0^**	5.7	4.4^**	−.47^**	−.49^**
Keep self busy	5.7	4.9^‡	5.7	4.8^*	−.40^**	−.39^**
Relax or meditate regularly	3.0	2.0^*	3.2	2.3^‡	−.16	−.26^**
Healthy food, sleep, etc.	5.8	4.6^**	5.7	4.7^*	−.39^**	−.30^*
Avoid tempting situations	4.8	4.0	4.7	3.9^‡	−.27^*	−.32^**
Work toward future goals	5.5	4.2^**	6.0	4.2^**	−.40^**	−.45^**
Remind self you’re sober person	5.6	3.4^**	5.9	3.6^**	−.43^**	−.49^**
Connect with spiritual side	4.6	3.3^*	4.8	3.4^*	−.25^*	−.22^‡
Other social support people	5.4	3.6^**	5.4	4.1^*	−.36^**	−.27^*
Tell others you’re not drinking	4.6	3.0^**	4.6	3.4^*	−.29^*	−.17
Talk over feelings with others	4.8	3.5^*	4.8	4.3	−.31^**	−.25^*
Work on problems regularly	5.1	4.0^*	5.2	4.2^*	−.30^*	−.18^‡
Recognize, challenge negative thoughts	5.0	4.0^*	5.7	3.9^**	−.34^**	−.41^**
Think what learned in treatment	5.0	3.8^*	5.1	3.7^**	−.25^*	−.30^**
Meetings, aftercare or counselor	4.3	3.2^*	4.5	3.5^‡	−.20^‡	−.16
Job where alcohol isn’t used	5.0	3.8^*	5.2	4.8	−.22^‡	−.13
Not significantly related
Exercise regularly	3.4	2.9	3.5	2.7	−.12	−.12
Live with clean/sober people	5.3	4.5	5.5	4.7	−.08	.07
Never keep much money	2.7	2.7	2.3	2.6	−.22^‡	.01

Strategy frequency was rated from 1 (never) to 7 (all the time).

^‡

p < .05;

p < .01;

^**

p < .001.

Partial correlations covaried pretreatment number of alcohol use days.