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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Effects of nurse counseling on walking for exercise in elderly primary care patients | | Author(s) | Patricia M Dubbert, Karen M Cooper, Kent A Kirchner |
| Journal title | Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, vol 57A, no 11, November 2002 |
| Pages | pp M733-M740 |
| Keywords | Walking ; Exercise ; General practice ; Advisory services [elderly] ; Nurses ; Clinical surveys ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | Counselling sedentary primary care patients can increase physical activity, but whether this approach will increase exercise and fitness in older people with chronic diseases remains to be determined. This US study reports on a randomised clinical trial with primary care patients aged 60-80, the Seniors Telephone Exercise Primary Care Study (STEPS), a programme of walking for health. After receiving individualised nurse counselling, the 181 participants received three levels of contact over 10 months: 20 nurse-initiated telephone calls; 10 nurse-initiated calls plus 10 motivational telephone calls; and no phone contact. Participants kept diaries recording walking, other activities, social support, health quality of life, and measured walking performance, mobility and body mass index (BMI). Those receiving a combination of nurse-initiated personal and automated phone calls walked significantly more than those with no phone contacts. Fitness improved in all three groups. Having a companion was associated with more frequent walking. Simple and relatively inexpensive nurse contacts can motivate older people to walk for exercise, and this activity is associated with measurable health benefits. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-021216224 A |
| Classmark | HSA: CEA: L5: IT: QTE: 3G: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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