Physical activity promotion in primary care targeting the older adult

This integrative review identifies and examines research literature focused on physical activity promotion provided in primary care settings to older adult patients in order to evaluate the effectiveness of provider-delivered interventions on elders short- and long-term activity levels.

A comprehensive review of original research published in English from all countries through May 2010 was performed. Relevant literature was identified through MEDLINE, CINAHL, and ProQuest on-line databases. Data from 11 unique studies were systematically extracted and summarized in table format.

Activity interventions delivered in primary care can produce at least short term increases in activity; however, there is limited evidence to evaluate whether long-term changes can be achieved and thus making the case for future longitudinal studies.

Tailored activity prescriptions should be provided after holistic patient assessment. Activity counseling requires recognition as a billable service and further study is needed to identify the most efficient intervention. Inclusion of health-economic evaluations in future research could reveal if efforts to improve physical activity levels are an efficient use of resources.