Health benefits from a layman intervention in the primary health care

In order to make a necessary life-style change, it is of the utmost importance that a sound motivation is created and the best help a person can get in the process of change is social support. The aim of this study was to locate people having physical symptoms of ill-being and to evaluate the work of a primary prevention programme, especially with regard to health benefits. The sample for the study was made up of 134 consecutive patients who went to see a health care professional because they had subjective complaints. The patients were offered a keep-fit exercise programme, i.e. a layman intervention of an educative-supportive nature, which consisted of ten assignments in a fitness club. The assignments comprised both physical exercise and psychosocial instructions. Two self-rated questionnaires were to be filled in; one at the beginning of the intervention and the other 1 year after its completion. Demographic data focused the attention on a female, manual, middle-aged worker, having symptoms bearing on the musculoskeletal system. The intervention definitely affected the life-style, thus favourably changing physical, psychosocial, and behavioural variables (e.g. increased physical well-being t-test: P < 0.001; decreased stress, t-test: P < 0.001; increased physical events, t-test: P < 0.01). In plain language, the use of the said intervention can result in the patients taking less time on sick-relief. Therefore, if many more people could be encouraged to take part in intervention programmes, the national medical cost would most likely be reduced.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)