Effect of Telephone Counseling on Physical Activity for Low‐Active Older People in Primary Care: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Abstract

To assess the long-term effectiveness of a telephone counseling intervention on physical activity and health-related quality of life in low-active older adults recruited through their primary care physician. Randomized, controlled trial. Three primary care practices from different socioeconomic regions of Auckland, New Zealand. One hundred and eighty-six low-active adults (aged 65) recruited from their primary care physicians' patient databases. Eight telephone counseling sessions over 12 weeks based on increasing physical activity. Control patients received usual care. Change in physical activity (as measured using the Auckland Heart Study Physical Activity Questionnaire) and quality of life (as measured using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36)) over a 12-month period. Moderate leisure physical activity increased by 86.8 min/wk more in the intervention group than in the control group (P=.007). More participants in the intervention group reached 2.5 hours of moderate or vigorous leisure physical activity per week after 12 months (42% vs 23%, odds ratio=2.9, 95% confidence interval=1.33-6.32, P=.007). No differences on SF-36 measures were observed between the groups at 12 months. Telephone-based physical activity counseling is effective at increasing physical activity over 12 months in previously low-active older adults.