Adherence Factors Related to Exercise Prescriptions in Healthcare Settings: A Review of the Scientific Literature

Purpose: Physical activity on prescription (PAP) is being introduced in healthcare systems around the world. To apply a successful treatment is as important as to know if the patient is able to follow-up. In order to contribute to the development of effective PAP strategies, we have analyzed PAP-related adherence factors with a multi-dimensional approach. Methods PAP adherence factors in studies published in the WoS, Pubmed, and PsycInfo were reviewed, according to the WHO five dimensions adherence model. In a setting of prediction or adherence analysis of adults with high-risk factors or chronic diseases, the methods used to measure physical activity (PA), PAP treatments, PAP adherence, and mentioned theories related to human behavior change were analyzed. Results A total of 32 studies fulfilled our inclusion criteria. According to the WHO five dimensions adherence model, these total clustered adherence variables were observed: social/economic (n = 100), healthcare system/healthcare team (n = 18), condition-related (n = 61), therapy-related (n = 20), and patient-related (n = 47). PAP adherence has mainly been measured by adherence to measurement methods and by calculating attended versus total sessions scheduled. PA level was measured mainly by questionnaires and exercise referrals were the most frequent PAP resource in analyzed studies. Transtheoretical model of behavior change was the theory most referenced. Conclusion A lack of considering health system/healthcare-team factors and therapy-related factors has been identified, as most studies only analyze social/economic factors in non-pharmacological PAP adherence studies in healthcare settings. A multidimensional approach should be adopted to analyze PAP adherence in healthcare settings.