RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Physical activity assessment and counseling in Quebec family medicine groups
JF Canadian Family Physician
JO Can Fam Physician
FD The College of Family Physicians of Canada
SP e234
OP e241
VO 64
IS 5
A1 Aurélie Baillot
A1 Jean-Patrice Baillargeon
A1 Alex Paré
A1 Thomas G. Poder
A1 Christine Brown
A1 Marie-France Langlois
YR 2018
UL http://www.cfp.ca/content/64/5/e234.abstract
AB Objective To determine how often primary health care providers (PHCPs) in family medicine groups (FMGs) assess physical activity (PA) levels, provide PA counseling (PAC), and refer patients to exercise professionals; to describe patients’ PA levels, physical fitness, and satisfaction regarding their PA management in FMGs; to describe available PA materials in FMGs and PHCPs’ PAC self-efficacy and PA knowledge; and to identify characteristics of patients and PHCPs that determine the assessment of PA and PAC provided by PHCPs.Design Cross-sectional study using questionnaires and a medical chart audit.Setting Ten FMGs within the Integrated University Health Network of the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke in Quebec.Participants Forty FPs, 24 nurses, and 439 patients.Main outcome measures Assessment of PA level and PAC provided by PHCPs.Results Overall, 51.9% of the patients had had their PA level assessed during the past 18 months, but only 21.6% received PAC from at least 1 of the PHCPs. Similar percentages were found among the inactive (n = 244) and more active (n = 195) patients. The median PAC self-efficacy score of PHCPs was 70.2% (interquartile range 52.0% to 84.7%) and the median PA knowledge score was 45.8% (interquartile range 41.7% to 54.2%), with no significant differences between nurses and FPs. In multivariate analysis, 34% of the variance in PAC provided was explained by assessment of PA level, overweight or obese status, type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, less FP experience, lower patient annual family income, more nurse encounters, and a higher patient physical component summary of quality of life.Conclusion The rates of assessment of PA and provision of PAC in Quebec FMGs were low, even though most of the patients were inactive. Initiatives to support PHCPs and more resources to assess PA levels and provide PAC should be implemented.