RESUMO
Physical activity (PA) improves quality of life and prevents chronic disease, yet many adults are inactive. Planning with health care providers in the form of exercise "prescriptions" may increase PA, but the role of individual psychosocial factors within exercise prescription programs is not well understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe the role of self-regulation strategies (e.g., goal setting, self-monitoring, reinforcements) in PA behavior change within the context of an exercise prescription program. Patients at a large, Federally Qualified Health Center with an on-site exercise facility (ie, "Wellness Center") referral were eligible to exercise with a personal fitness advisor. Self-reported PA and use of 15 self-regulation strategies were measured via survey at two time points and merged with electronic health records and attendance data. Patients (n = 151) were, on average, 50.3 ± 13.3 years and mostly female (76.8%). Almost one-third (30.5%) were Hispanic/Latino, 48.3% were non-Hispanic Black, and 20.5% were non-Hispanic white. Participants completed 10.7 ± 12.0 in-person exercise sessions with a fitness advisor. Between baseline and follow-up, the self-regulation strategies that had the largest change in frequency over time were keeping track of PA (p < 0.001), thinking about surroundings (p < 0.001), rewarding yourself for PA (p < 0.001), making PA more enjoyable (p < 0.001), setting goals (p < 0.001), and trying different kinds of PA (p < 0.001). Among exercise prescription program participants, the total self-regulation strategies score was significantly associated with physical activity at follow-up (p = 0.04). Leveraging self-regulatory skill-building activities within the context of exercise prescription programs in clinical settings may provide a personalized and multicomponent approach to PA promotion. Self-regulation strategy training for fitness advisors and/or health care providers has great potential for supporting long-term health behaviors like PA for managing chronic disease among underserved patients.
RESUMO
Physical activity is essential to maintain physical and mental well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person physical activity opportunities were limited. This paper describes a telephone-based physical activity support strategy among racially/ethnically diverse patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adult patients at a large, Federally Qualified Health Center with an on-site exercise facility referral were eligible to transition to telephone support with personal fitness advisors during the pandemic stay-at-home orders. Baseline surveys assessed physical activity and environmental characteristics; follow-up phone calls used motivational interviewing and physical activity goal setting strategies. From March 23-July 23, 2020, 72 patients participated in 270 phone calls, or 3.8 (±2.1) calls per participant. Participants were, on average, aged 51.3 (±11.6) years, 87.5% female, 31.9% Hispanic/Latino, and 47.2% non-Hispanic Black. Patients meeting physical activity guidelines pre-pandemic reported more planned exercise (100.0% vs. 55.3%; p<0.001), exercise days at home (5.0 vs. 1.7; p<0.001), and accomplishment of personal physical activity goals (57.0% vs. 39.7%; p = 0.11) than patients not meeting guidelines pre-pandemic. Patients with a home treadmill participated in twice the rate of calls compared to those without (RR = 2.22; 95%CI:1.35,3.64), but no other home environmental characteristics predicted participation rate. Pre-pandemic physical activity behavior appeared to predict pandemic physical activity and telephone-based physical activity support was effective for maintaining physical activity for some participants. Long term applications of this work will support continuity of clinic-community partnerships for health behavior change and provide a model for patient physical activity support by community health centers without on-site exercise facilities.
