Evaluation of a physical activity promotion program in primary care

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for chronic diseases.
• Effective strategies for promoting physical activity in diverse populations are needed.
• General practitioner (GP) advice, supported by written materials, has shown positive effects on patient physical activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a primary care-based intervention ('Move for Health and the Environment') in changing patients' physical activity levels after one year.
• To assess the impact of counseling and information leaflets on adopting and maintaining an active lifestyle.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving patients aged 16-65 years who completed a screening questionnaire.
• Insufficiently active patients received an information leaflet and a voucher for physical activity counseling.
• Follow-up questionnaires were administered after one year to assess changes in physical activity levels.

Main Results:

• 37.3% of previously inactive patients achieved sufficient activity levels at follow-up.
• Formerly inactive patients reported significant increases in moderate (58.8 min/week) and vigorous (34.6 min/week) activity.
• 20.3% of previously active patients became insufficiently active, indicating a need for maintenance support.

Conclusions:

• Systematic counseling in primary care effectively encourages insufficiently active patients to increase their physical activity.
• Active patients also require counseling to maintain their physical activity levels.
• Primary care settings can play a crucial role in promoting sustainable physical activity behaviors.