Preparticipation Cardiovascular Health Screening Procedures In Health/fitness Facilities: Is Compliance With National Standards Diminishing?

Abstract

Professional organizations such as the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Heart Association (AHA) have published national standards that require or recommend that health/fitness facilities conduct preparticipation cardiovascular health screening (PCHS) procedures of their members. A major purpose of PCHS is to identify individuals who may be "at risk" for untoward events during exercise such as a sudden cardiac arrest. The ACSM and AHA standards describe procedures for facilities to have their members complete a PCHS questionnaire and if necessary, based upon the data collected on the questionnaire, to have members obtain medical clearance prior to exercise. PURPOSE: To determine the number of health/fitness facilities within a Midwestern geographic region that are conducting PCHS procedures in accordance with ACSM and AHA national standards for their members as well as their personal training clients. METHODS: The sample included 146 facilities representing commercial, community, corporate, and academic settings. Of these, 123 (84% response rate) completed a telephone interview to determine to what extent they were conducting PCHS procedures for their members and personal training clients. RESULTS: Forty (33%) health/fitness facilities required their members to complete a PCHS questionnaire. Of those, only 20 (50%) facilities required medical clearance for "at risk" members prior to engaging in physical activity. Personal training clients completed a PCHS questionnaire at 50 (61%) facilities with 32 (64%) of those requiring medical clearance for "at risk" clients. The data were also analyzed by type of setting. Corporate settings had a significantly higher (p=.0049) compliance rate with ACSM and AHA standards with regard to having members complete a PCHS questionnaire than the other three settings. Data were also compared with similar previous studies and indicated that compliance rates with national standards related to PCHS procedures of members may be diminishing. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that health/fitness facility personnel need to become more aware of the importance and benefits of conducting PCHS procedures as well as the risk of not conducting PCHS procedures in accordance with published standards.