HEALTH BENEFITS FROM A LAYMAN INTERVENTION IN THE PRIMARY HEALTH-CARE

In order to make a necessary life-style change, it is of the utmost im portance that a sound motivation is created and the best help a person can get in the process of change is social support. The aim of this s tudy was to locate people having physical symptoms of ill-being and to evaluate the work of a primary prevention programme, especially with regard to health benefits. The sample for the study was made up of 134 consecutive patients who went to see a health care professional becau se they had subjective complaints. The patients were offered a keep-fi t exercise programme, i.e. a layman intervention of an educative-suppo rtive nature, which consisted of ten assignments in a fitness club. Th e assignments comprised both physical exercise and psychosocial instru ctions. Two self-rated questionnaires were to be filled in; one at the beginning of the intervention and the other 1 year after its completi on. Demographic data focused the attention on a female, manual, middle -aged worker, having symptoms bearing on the musculoskeletal system. T he intervention definitely affected the life-style, thus favourably ch anging physical, psychosocial, and behavioural variables (e.g. increas ed physical well-being, t-test: P < 0.001; decreased stress, t-test: P < 0.001; increased physical events, t-test: P < 0.01). In plain langu age, the use of the said intervention can result in the patients takin g less time on sick-relief. Therefore, if many more people could be en couraged to take part in intervention programmes, the national medical cost would most likely be reduced. Reflecting upon the result of the study, there is a reason to wish that future intervention programmes b e more concerned about the patients' working areas and their leisure t ime.