Healthcare providers tend to "preach what they practice."
Physically active healthcare providers were more likely than their inactive counterparts to advise patients to lead an active lifestyle in a study presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2013 Scientific Sessions.
"Patients rely on advice from healthcare providers to adopt healthier behaviors, so these findings suggest that improving healthcare providers' physical activity levels may be an easy way to help reduce physical inactivity among the general population," said Isabel Garcia de Quevedo, M.S.P.H., ORISE Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Ga.
Researchers reviewed 24 observational studies and four interventional studies on healthcare providers' physical activity and related patient counseling.
In 23 of 24 observational studies, physically active healthcare providers were significantly more likely to counsel their patients to incorporate daily physical activity into their lives, with some studies indicating that active physicians were two to five times more likely than their sedentary counterparts to recommend physical activity to their patients.
Furthermore, two interventions to improve physicians' physical activity levels led to improvements in their confidence and efficacy in giving activity counseling to their patients.
Additionally, students in a medical school program to improve lifestyle habits were 56 percent more likely than students not in the program to provide more frequent physical activity counseling during standardized patient examinations.
Regular physical activity counseling by healthcare providers is a major part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Healthy People 2020 plan to improve the nation's health. "When advice is coupled with a referral to community resources, it can be quite effective and this approach should be part of the public health solution to America's inactivity problem," said Felipe Lobelo, M.D., Ph.D., an epidemiologist with CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, co-author and leader of the study.
The American Heart Association and the CDC recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week and have information on how to fit fitness into your busy day.
Author disclosures are on the abstract.
The CDC funded the study.
Follow @HeartNews for EPI/NPAM media materials. For general meeting information, follow @AHAMeetings. Use the hashtag #EPINPAM13 for either account.
Statements and conclusions of study authors that are presented at American Heart Association scientific meetings are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect association policy or position. The association makes no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations are available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding.
Note: This scientific presentation of this abstract will take 5:30-7:30 p.m. CT, Friday, March 22, 2013. ALL NEWS MATERIALS ARE EMBARGOED UNTIL THE TIME OF PRESENTATION OR 4 P.M. ET EACH DAY, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.