Physician counseling and longer term physical activity.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Medicine
• Preventive Cardiology

Background:

• Physician counseling is a potential strategy for promoting physical activity.
• Current evidence supporting its effectiveness is limited.
• The modified PACE protocol is a brief intervention approach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of brief physician counseling (modified PACE protocol) combined with telephone follow-ups on patient energy expenditure.
• To assess changes in physical activity levels over a 20-month period.
• To determine if telephone follow-ups enhance the effects of physician counseling.

Main Methods:

• A 20-month randomized controlled trial involving 45 participants.
• Participants completed physical activity questionnaires at baseline and 20 months.
• Intervention groups included counseling-only and enhanced counseling with 3 telephone follow-ups.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in energy expenditure from baseline (1.5 kcal/kg/d) to 20 months (2.2 kcal/kg/d, P < .05) in both groups.
• No significant difference between the counseling-only and enhanced counseling groups (P > .05).
• Participants increased moderate-intensity activities and decreased light-intensity activities (Ps < .001).

Conclusions:

• Brief physician counseling, using the modified PACE protocol, is effective in increasing patient energy expenditure.
• Additional telephone support did not provide further benefits beyond brief physician counseling.
• Physician-led interventions show promise for promoting physical activity and improving health outcomes.