The heterogeneity in reported effects was reduced in higher quality studies , when physical activity was self-directed with some professional guidance and when there was on-going professional support .
Our review suggests that physical activity interventions have a moderate effect on self reported physical activity and cardio-respiratory fitness , but not on achieving a predetermined level of physical activity .
Due to the clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the studies , only limited conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of individual components of the interventions .
BACKGROUND Little is known about the effectiveness of strategies to enable people to achieve an increase in their physical activity .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of interventions for promoting physical activity in adults aged 16 years and older , not living in an institution .
Advice on exercise from a family physician can help sedentary patients to become active.
OBJECTIVES To test the effectiveness , in the setting of primary health care , of verbal advice on exercise from a family physician ( FP ) combined with supporting written information . DESIGN A controlled trial with subjects allocated to a control group or one of two intervention groups using a balanced design based on day of the week . SETTING Ten general practice s in Perth , Western Australia . SUBJECTS All sedentary patients consulting an FP . INTERVENTION Verbal advice on exercise from the FP and a pamphlet on exercise mailed to the patient 's home address within 2 days of his/her visit to the doctor . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Level of physical activity at follow-up . RESULTS 6,351 adult patients attending an FP practice completed a screening question naire , and 763 sedentary adults were recruited to the project . The response to follow-up , via a postal survey at 1 , 6 , and 12 months after the index consultation was 70 % , 60 % , and 57 % , respectively . At 1 month a sub sample of the control and intervention subjects were contacted for a telephone interview to verify self-reported levels of activity ( n = 136 ) . Treating all nonresponders as sedentary , at 1 month significantly more subjects in the combined intervention groups reported doing some physical activity ( 40 % ) compared with the control group ( 31 % ) . Similarly , at 6 months , 30 % of the control group and 38 % of the combined intervention groups were " now active . " There was very little change at follow-up at 12 months ( 31 % control and 36 % intervention groups , respectively ) . CONCLUSION A simple intervention aim ed at the promotion of physical activity to sedentary patients in general practice can help reduce inactivity
The heterogeneity in reported effects was reduced in higher quality studies , when physical activity was self-directed with some professional guidance and when there was on-going professional support .
Our review suggests that physical activity interventions have a moderate effect on self reported physical activity and cardio-respiratory fitness , but not on achieving a predetermined level of physical activity .
Due to the clinical and statistical heterogeneity of the studies , only limited conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of individual components of the interventions .
BACKGROUND Little is known about the effectiveness of strategies to enable people to achieve an increase in their physical activity .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of interventions for promoting physical activity in adults aged 16 years and older , not living in an institution .