A Controlled Trial of Physician Counseling to Promote the Adoption of Physical Activity

Background.In accordance with one of the Year 2000 Health Objectives, the current study tests the efficacy of brief physician-based counseling to increase physical activity in sedentary patients in a nonrandomized controlled trial. Methods.Control and intervention physicians were matched on medical practice variables. Two hundred fifty-five apparently healthy, sedentary, adult patients were recruited from 17 physician offices (mean age = 39 years, 84% female, 28% ethnic minority). Intervention physicians delivered 3 to 5 min of structured physical activity counseling during a well visit or follow-up for a chronic condition. A health educator made a brief booster phone call to patients 2 weeks after receiving physician counseling. Self-reported physical activity and stage of change (i.e., behavioral readiness to adopt or maintain activity) were collected at baseline and at 4- to 6-week follow-up. Objective activity monitoring was conducted on a subsample. Results.Intervention patients reported increased walking more than control patients (+37 min/week vs. +7 min/week). There was a significant intervention effect on the activity monitor. Intervention participants also demonstrated a greater increase in readiness to adopt activity than control subjects. Conclusions.Physician-based counseling for physical activity is efficacious in producing short-term increases in moderate physical activity among previously sedentary patients.