Participation in 4 or more lifestyle-related resource encounters was associated with 51 more minutes per week of physical activity compared to no utilization in midlife women.
Cohort (n=55,393)
Yes
Does participation in lifestyle-related education and counseling resources improve cardiovascular biomarkers and physical activity in midlife women with low physical activity?
Sustained utilization of health plan-based lifestyle-related resources (≥4 encounters) is associated with improved physical activity, weight, and plasma glucose in high-risk midlife women, though overall utilization remains very low.
Effect estimate: Mean difference 51 (95% CI 33, 69)
Health plan-based resources are promising avenues for decreasing cardiovascular disease risk. This study examined associations of lifestyle-related resource utilization within a healthcare delivery system and cardiovascular biomarkers among midlife women with low physical activity. Midlife women (45-55 years old) with <10 min/week of reported physical activity at a primary care visit within a large integrated healthcare delivery system in Northern California in 2015 (n = 55,393) were identified. Within this cohort, subsequent lifestyle-related health education and individual coaching resource utilization, and the next recorded physical activity, weight, systolic blood pressure, plasma glucose, HDL and LDL cholesterol measures up to 2 years after the index primary care visit were identified from electronic health records. We used a multilevel linear model to estimate associations. About 3% (n = 1587) of our cohort had ≥1 lifestyle-related resource encounter; 0.3% (n = 178) had ≥ 4 encounters. Participation in ≥4 lifestyle-related resource encounters (compared to none) was associated with 51 more minutes/week of physical activity (95% CI: 33,69) at the next clinical measurement in all women, 6.2 kg lower weight (95% CI: -7.0,-5.5) at the next measurement in women with obesity, and 8-10 mg/dL lower plasma glucose (95% CI: -30,14 and -23,2, respectively) at the next measurement in women with diabetes or prediabetes. Our results support the sustained utilization of health plan-based lifestyle-related resources for improving physical activity, weight, and plasma glucose in high-risk midlife women. Given the observed low utilization, health system-wide efforts may be warranted to increase utilization of lifestyle-related resources in this population.
Badon et al. (Mon,) conducted a cohort in Low physical activity (n=55,393). Lifestyle-related health education and individual coaching vs. No utilization (0 encounters) was evaluated on Physical activity (minutes/week) (Mean difference 51, 95% CI 33, 69). Participation in 4 or more lifestyle-related resource encounters was associated with 51 more minutes per week of physical activity compared to no utilization in midlife women.