Physical Activity as a Vital Sign: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Clinical Practice

Background:

• Physical activity (PA) is crucial for managing chronic diseases.
• A vital sign tool for PA could prompt necessary patient counseling or referrals.
• This review focuses on brief PA instruments as vital sign measures, particularly for arthritis management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the use, definitions, psychometric properties, and outcomes of brief PA instruments as vital sign measures.
• To assess the potential of these tools in clinical settings for identifying and addressing inadequate PA.
• To examine studies specifically related to arthritis management using PA vital signs.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of English-language literature from 1985–2016.
• Searched electronic databases using terms like "PA," "exercise," "vital sign," "exercise referral scheme," and "exercise counseling."
• Identified and extracted data from 9 qualifying articles out of 838 initially reviewed.

Main Results:

• Five brief PA measures were identified: EVS, PAVS, SNAP, GPPAQ, and SBAS. No studies focused on arthritis.
• EVS use in a hospital system showed improvements in weight loss and HbA1c levels.
• PAVS moderate activity correlated with lower BMI; other tools showed varying degrees of correlation, sensitivity, and specificity when compared to accelerometer data.

Conclusions:

• Few studies have evaluated brief PA tools as vital signs.
• Initial findings suggest these simple assessment tools hold promise for clinical application.
• More research is required to validate their effectiveness in improving chronic disease outcomes.