Physical activity promotion in primary care targeting the older adult

PURPOSE: This integrative review identifies and examines research literature focused on physical activity promotion provided in primary care settings to older adult patients in order to evaluate the effectiveness of provider-delivered interventions on elders short- and long-term activity levels. DATA RESOURCES: A comprehensive review of original research published in English from all countries through May 2010 was performed. Relevant literature was identified through MEDLINE, CINAHL, and ProQuest on-line databases. Data from 11 unique studies were systematically extracted and summarized in table format. CONCLUSIONS: Activity interventions delivered in primary care can produce at least short term increases in activity; however, there is limited evidence to evaluate whether long-term changes can be achieved and thus making the case for future longitudinal studies. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Tailored activity prescriptions should be provided after holistic patient assessment. Activity counseling requires recognition as a billable service and further study is needed to identify the most efficient intervention. Inclusion of health-economic evaluations in future research could reveal if efforts to improve physical activity levels are an efficient use of resources.