Clinical trial NCT00013195: Nurse Counseling for Physical Activity in Primary Care Patients
Official title: Nurse Counseling for Physical Activity in Primary Care Patients
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Chronic Disease
Exercise
Keywords: Telephone
Lead sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Sponsor class: FED
First posted: 2001-03-16
Enrollment: 210
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 60
Maximum age (years): 80
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Many elderly primary care patients are at high risk for health complications and functional impairment due to low levels of physical activity. Previous trials of counseling of elderly patients in primary care clinics have not demonstrated lasting physical activity change and have not evaluated fitness changes associated with any increased activity.

Detailed description: Background:

Many elderly primary care patients are at high risk for health complications and functional impairment due to low levels of physical activity. Previous trials of counseling of elderly patients in primary care clinics have not demonstrated lasting physical activity change and have not evaluated fitness changes associated with any increased activity.

Objectives:

The primary objective was to determine if nurse telephone counseling could assist 60 to 80 year old VA primary care patients to establish and maintain a regular walking program.

Methods:

In this randomized clinical trial, 60-80 year old patients were referred to a walking program by primary care providers. All participants received individualized counseling by the nurse and, over the next year, one of three follow-up interventions: 1) 20 calls initiated by the nurse; 2) ten calls initiated by the nurse and ten initiated by an automated telephone message delivery system; or 3) no follow-up calls. All kept walking diaries and mailed these in to a data collector blinded to intervention group. Follow-up research visits were scheduled at six and 12 months. Self-reported walking, the primary outcome measure, was assessed from the walking diaries and validated by reports of significant others and accelerometer data. Improvement in fitness was assessed at 12 months with a standardized six minute walking test. Tinetti mobility scores, body mass index, and body girths were also assessed. Several quality of life measures were also administered.

Status:

Complete.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

60-80 year old patients referred to a walking program by a primary care provider.

Exclusion Criteria:

Primary outcomes:
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Jackson
country: United States
facility: G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center, Jackson, MS
state: Arkansas
Study officials:
affiliation: G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center, Jackson, MS
name: Patricia M. Dubbert, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Dubbert PM, Vander Weg MW, Kirchner KA, Shaw B. Evaluation of the 7-day physical activity recall in urban and rural men. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004 Sep;36(9):1646-54. doi: 10.1249/01.mss.0000139893.65189.f2.
citation: Dubbert PM, Cooper KM, Kirchner KA, Meydrech EF, Bilbrew D. Effects of nurse counseling on walking for exercise in elderly primary care patients. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2002 Nov;57(11):M733-40. doi: 10.1093/gerona/57.11.m733.
citation: Dubbert PM, Meydrech EF, Kirchner KA, Cooper KM, Bilbrew DE. Encouraging elders to exercise. Federal practitioner : for the health care professionals of the VA, DoD, and PHS. 2001 Jul 1; 18(7):39-59.
citation: Rhudy JL, Dubbert PM, Kirchner KA, Williams AE. Efficacy of a program to encourage walking in VA elderly primary care patients: the role of pain. Psychol Health Med. 2007 May;12(3):289-98. doi: 10.1080/13548500600986559.
citation: Cooper TV, Resor MR, Stoever CJ, Dubbert PM. Physical activity and physical activity adherence in the elderly based on smoking status. Addict Behav. 2007 Oct;32(10):2268-73. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2007.01.007. Epub 2007 Jan 11.
citation: Cooper KM, Bilbrew D, Dubbert PM, Kerr K, Kirchner K. Health barriers to walking for exercise in elderly primary care. Geriatr Nurs. 2001 Sep-Oct;22(5):258-62. doi: 10.1067/mgn.2001.119470.
citation: Dubbert PM, Morey MC, Kirchner KA, Meydrech EF, Grothe K. Counseling for home-based walking and strength exercise in older primary care patients. Arch Intern Med. 2008 May 12;168(9):979-86. doi: 10.1001/archinte.168.9.979.