Physical activity counselling in GP exercise referral
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Physical activity counselling in GP exercise referral
IRAS ID
172321
Contact name
Chris Beedie
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
ukactive Research Institute
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
The project will assess the effectiveness of a novel Exercise Referral intervention. Data will inform the development of Exercise Referral provision and potentially create a new service model for London Borough of Bexley.
Type-II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer, breast cancer, dementia and depression are all associated with low levels of physical activity, and are associated with increases in body fat. Increases in physical activity contribute substantially and significantly to the prevention and management of many chronic conditions, including those above. Exercise referral is the practice of referring a person from primary care to a qualified exercise professional to develop a tailored programme of physical activity. This relies upon a working partnership between a local authority, primary care trust and leisure service provider. This provides patients with access to facilities and expertise that can help them to make short term increases in activity levels and long term behavioural changes.
The research literature reveals some major concerns with the effectiveness and feasibility of exercise referral schemes. Furthermore data demonstrating treatment effectiveness are lacking; an evident reliance upon self-report fails to provide an accurate representation of physical activity levels or health outcomes (in fact there is potential for over reporting of both, and consequently previous interventions may be even less successful than thought). Physiological data of the type collected in this study will demonstrate the treatment effectiveness (outcomes) as well as the treatment effectiveness (sessions attended) of the intervention.
The project aims to evaluate the degree to which outcomes from a GP exercise referral programme might be enhanced when augmented with a physical activity counselling intervention. The study will use a between subjects design in three conditions, traditional GP exercise referral only, physical activity counselling only, and GP referral augmented with phyical activity counselling (PAC). A wait list control will be employed.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/0540
Date of REC Opinion
1 Apr 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion