Do PA interventions increase acute medical inpatients PA levels
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Do physical activity (PA) interventions increase acute medical inpatients self-reported physical activity levels (PAL). A feasibility study.
IRAS ID
263647
Contact name
Ivan Le Jeune
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Research Summary:
Physical activity (PA) can help treat and prevent many physical and mental health conditions. However, many of the UK population do not meet the Department of Health’s PA recommendations which is contributing to the high chronic disease burden in the UK population. Many patients who are admitted to acute medical wards have at least one co-morbidity. Inpatients on acute hospital wards do not routinely receive PA advice from healthcare staff. We believe that patients could be encouraged to increase their PA level (PAL) during an admission to hospital.We have undertaken two previous qualitative studies that proceed this work. In the first study we found that patients were open to discussing PA during admission to AMU. In the second study patients thought motivational interviews focused on PA helped them increase their PAL. Although patients have reported that motivational interviews were beneficial in helping them increase their PA, this has so far not been assessed quantitatively.
We plan to recruit 50-100 patients and randomize them into two groups. One group will receive a short PA intervention and the other a long intervention. We will use the moving medicine online resource to structure both PA intervention. We will use the ‘one minute’ conversation for the short PA intervention and the ‘more minutes’ conversation for the long PA intervention. We will measure the PAL of both groups at baseline and at two follow-up points (4 weeks and 12 weeks). We will use the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire to assess participants self-reported PAL. We will use the data collected to describe participants baseline PAL and the treatment effect of the two PA interventions. We will also calculate estimated recruitment and retention rates. The results of this feasibility study will be used to plan a similarly designed powered RCT.
Lay summary of study results: Key points • A patient’s admission to hospital, even to a short stay unit such as an acute medical unit (AMU), provides an opportunity to deliver health promotion interventions because the hospital admission can be a ‘teachable moment’.
• Motivational interviewing (MI) is a more effective behaviour change technique than brief advice on physical activity (PA). However, MI is a longer and more costly intervention to deliver.
• It was feasible to recruit AMU in-patients and to deliver a PA intervention prior to discharge.
• 66% of participants increased their physical activity level (PAL) during the study and at 12-weeks 48% of participants were now ‘active’.
• Although motivational interviewing has better outcomes for the individual, because of the additional time required to deliver this intervention, delivering brief physical activity advice to a larger number of people could have better outcomes for the population.
• This study gives a clear basis for planning and powering a larger trial of a short PA intervention as part of primary prevention on the AMU.REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/YH/0024
Date of REC Opinion
17 Mar 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion