Review of randomized primary care physical activity counselling interventions

Health care providers (HCPs) are an important source of physical activity (PA) information. Previous primary care PA interventions have had mixed results; however, successful interventions that increase PA in even a small percentage of sedentary patients may produce a large number of individuals that experience health benefits associated with beginning and maintaining regular PA. In addition to the several quasi-experimental trials, quantitative and qualitative research regarding PA counseling that have been performed in primary care, there have been numerous randomized trials of varying success. The results show that most interventions took place in primary care, included health professionals in delivery, and involved advice or counselling given face to face or by phone (or both) on multiple occasions. From the review, promotion of physical activity and exercise to sedentary adults recruited in primary care significantly increases physical activity levels, as measured by self-report. There was insufficient evidence to recommend exercise referral schemes over advice or counselling interventions. The two objectives were to determine whether such trials showed sustained effects on physical activity or fitness in sedentary adults, and whether exercise referral interventions were more effective than other interventions