Health resorts as gateways for regional, standardised, sports club based exercise programmes to increase the weekly time of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity: study protocol

Physical Activity as Part of an Intramural Health Promotion Programme for People with and without Chronic Diseases. A New Tool in Health Care Run by a Public Social Health Insurance

Background: Regular physical activity is a corner stone for healthy living, and preventing the onset or progression of diseases. The Social Insurance Fund for Public Service, Railway and Mining Industries is building an intramural health promotion facility in Austria with the aim to provide a comprehensive evidence-based health promotion programme for their insured. The target group are all people who, regardless of their health status and the presence of diseases, are ready to make their lifestyle more health-oriented. The health promotion facility offers health promotion measures in five areas: promoting physical training, optimizing nutritional patterns, managing everyday stress, increasing social capital, and improving health literacy. The focus is on increasing resources and on overcoming barriers. Depending on age, previous illnesses, range of motion, stress level, body weight and personal aims and expectations, the measures are individually tailored. The stay is divided into a two-week initial stay and a follow-up week. A comprehensive scientific evaluation concept of all measures and the entire stay is an integral part of the design. Conclusion: This project combines the advantages of comprehensive active health promotion, and an intramural stay. It is a pioneering social insurance project for sustainable health promotion and integrated care.

Short-and Long-Term Effectiveness of a Physical Activity Intervention with Coordinated Action between the Health Care Sector and Local Sports Clubs. A Pragmatic Trial in Austrian Adults

(1) Background: Collaboration between the health care sector and the sports sector to increase physical activity (PA) behaviour among inactive adults is still rare. The objective of the study was to evaluate the short- and long-term effectiveness of a mixed PA intervention on the PA behaviour in an adult population. (2) Methods: In a quasi-experimental study with two follow-up measurements (four and 12 months), adults were contacted by post before their stay in a health resort. During the health resort stay, the intervention group (IG) received PA counselling and a coupon for 12 standardised free-of-charge sessions in a sports club. The participants in the comparator group (CG) received PA counselling and written material. PA was measured with an accelerometer (GENEActive). Linear mixed-effects models were applied to examine the change in PA behaviour, both within and between groups in moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA over time. (3) Results: We obtained at least one follow-up measurement from 217 participants (IG = 167, CG = 50), who were 50% female, with an average age of 53 (±6) years. PA significantly increased from the baseline to the four-month measurement by 58 min./wk (95% CI 36, 80) and to the 12-month measurement by 24 min./wk (95% CI 2, 46) within the IG. No change in PA occurred in the CG. We also found a short-term between-group (IG vs. CG) difference in change over time, but not a long-term difference. (4) Conclusions: The study confirms that a collaboration between the health care sector and local sports clubs is a feasible method of recruiting people into a standardised PA programme and to increase their PA over the long term.

Association between physical activity and the utilization of general practitioners in different age groups

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) is an important tool in health promotion, prevention, curation, and rehabilitation and should be part of general practitioners (GP) consultations. For tailoring GP's service it is important to know the PA habits of the clients.

METHODS

Data from the Austrian Health Interview Survey 2014 with 15,770 subjects were analyzed. The association between PA, measured with the Physical Activity Questionnaire of the European Health Intervies Survey (EHIS-PAQ) and having visited a GP within the last 4 weeks was examined in different age groups (15-29, 30-64, and 65+ years). In multivariate analyses we adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related variables (body mass index, 17 chronic diseases, and the use of medication).

RESULTS

In subjects aged 15-29 years and 30-64 years fulfilling aerobic PA recommendations was significantly associated with a lower chance of having consulted the GP with unadjusted OR (95% CI) 0.82 (0.70-0.96) and 0.90 (0.82-0.99), respectively, whereas work-related PA was associated with a higher chance, with OR 1.21 (1.03-1.42) and 1.10 (1.00-1.20), respectively. Adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related factors led to loss of significance. In subjects aged 30-64 years, muscle strengthening PA was associated with a higher chance for GP consultation with OR 1.12 (1.00-1.24) in the fully adjusted model. In subjects aged 65+ years, PA was associated with a lower chance of having visited the GP with OR 0.74 (0.64-0.86) and 0.83 (0.71-0.97) for work related PA and total PA, respectively, in the fully adjusted model.

CONCLUSION

The association of PA and GP consultation is dependent on age and type of PA, and partly mediated by sociodemographic and health-related factors.

How Does Counselling in a Stationary Health Care Setting Affect the Attendance in a Standardised Sports Club Programme? Process Evaluation of a Quasi-Experimental Study

Actions in partnership across sectors is one principle for the promotion of health behaviours. The objective of this study was to describe the participation in a sports club-based exercise programme—named JACKPOT—following an intervention in a health care setting. Focus was given to the recruitment into JACKPOT, the attendance level, and whether the different programme elements were implemented as intented. The practicability of the project was also retrospectively rated. Participants were 238 inactive people (50% women) between 30 and 65 years of age who attended a health resort. Of these, 77% were assigned to the intervention group (IG). The recruitment into the 12 JACKPOT sessions and the attendance levels were recorded via attendance lists. The implementation of the intervention standards was assessed with structured interviews and participatory observation. The Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS)-2 tool served to rate the practicability of the project. Almost 50% of the IG subjects attended JACKPOT sessions at least once and 54% of the attenders visited ≥75% of the 12 sessions. Some of the programme elements were not delivered fully. The process evaluation results showed that the project worked in a real-world setting, and also uncovered potential reasons such as incomplete information delivery for the moderate recruitment and attendance level.