Single risk factor interventions to promote physical activity among patients with chronic diseases: systematic review

To provide a summary of evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to promote physical activity among patients affected by at least 1 chronic disease. The interventions studied were each targeted at a single risk factor.

MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMBASE were searched from 1966 to 2006 using 2 sets of search terms. First we searched using physical activity or physical fitness or exercise and health care or primary care or primary health care or family practice or medical office or physician's office and health promotion or health education or counselling. Then we used physical activity or exercise and diabetes or hyperlipidemia or hypertension or obesity or cardiovascular disease or pulmonary disease or risk factor or comorbidity and health promotion or health education or counselling or prescription.

We chose randomized controlled trials or trials with a controlled quasi-experimental design that evaluated single risk factor interventions to promote physical activity among adult patients in primary care settings who were affected by at least 1 chronic disease, that reported participation in physical activity as a primary outcome, and that were published in English or French.

Of the 4858 articles found, 62 were assessed, and 3 were selected. Two studies concluded that the interventions evaluated had no effect on level of physical activity. The other reported a positive short-term effect with use of an intensive intervention that was based on the theory of planned behaviour and integrated nurses into the general practitioner counseling process.

There is insufficient evidence to assess the effectiveness of single risk factor interventions to promote physical activity among patients affected by at least 1 chronic disease in primary care settings. Of 3 studies, only 1 reported a short-term positive effect.