Developing physical activity counselling in primary care through participatory action approach

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Promotion
• Primary Care Interventions

Background:

• Many adults are not active enough for good health.
• Physical activity (PA) counselling in primary care is crucial but often inadequate.
• This study aimed to improve PA promotion by health professionals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance health professionals' knowledge of PA and PA counselling.
• To improve the implementation and quality of PA counselling.
• To increase familiarity with and use of Physical Activity Prescription (PAP).
• To boost collaboration and electronic health record system use in PA counselling.

Main Methods:

• A 6-month development program was implemented in four Finnish health centers.
• Monthly tutorials supported working groups in achieving study goals.
• Outcomes were evaluated using questionnaires, record sheets, and interviews before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• Health professionals' familiarity with and use of PAP significantly increased.
• A greater proportion of professionals agreed on using PAP within their units.
• Improvements in PA and PA counselling know-how were observed but not statistically significant.
• Uneven participation and time constraints limited the implementation of some development actions.

Conclusions:

• The intervention successfully improved familiarity with and use of PAP.
• Further long-term strategies are needed to achieve broader organizational and inter-professional changes.
• Enhancing PA promotion requires sustained effort and addressing systemic barriers.