Physician advice and support for physical activity - Results from a national survey

Background: It is increasingly well documented that physical activity (PA) is a key preventive behavior and that visits to a physician provide an impo rtant opportunity for advice and counseling. This paper reports on physicia n counseling behaviors regarding PA and other chronic disease risk factors from a national survey. Methods: A diverse sample of U.S. adults (N=1818), with oversampling of low er-income households, was surveyed about their PA level as well as a host o f social, environmental, and physician counseling issues. Results: Overall, 28% of respondents reported receiving physician advice to increase their PA level. Of those who received ad-vice, only 38% received help formulating a specific activity plan and 42% received follow-up suppor t. Patients who received advice and support were more likely to be older, n onwhite, and to have more chronic illnesses and more contact with their doc tor. Conclusions: Physician advice, counseling, and follow-up are important comp onents of the social-environmental supports needed to increase population P A levels. Health system changes, including teaching communication skills, p rompts to use those skills, and system changes to support attention to PA, are needed to extend promotion of PA to more patients.