Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Are Family Medicine Residents Trained To Counsel Patients On Physical Activity? The Canadian Experience And A Call To Action., Jane Thornton, Karim Khan, Richard Weiler, Christopher Mackie, Robert Petrella

Family Medicine Publications

Physical inactivity is a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and early mortality. Family physicians have an important role in providing physical activity counselling to patients to help prevent and treat NCDs. Lack of training on physical activity counselling is a barrier in undergraduate medical education, yet little is known regarding physical activity teaching in postgraduate family medicine residency. We assessed the provision, content and future direction of physical activity teaching in Canadian postgraduate family medicine residency programs to address this data gap. Fewer than half of Canadian Family Medicine Residency Programme directors reported providing structured physical activity counselling …

The Healthesteps™ Lifestyle Prescription Program To Improve Physical Activity And Modifiable Risk Factors For Chronic Disease: A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial., Dawn P. Gill, W Blunt, N C Boa Sorte Silva, C Stiller-Moldovan, G Y Zou, R J Petrella

Family Medicine Publications

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to determine the influence of the HealtheSteps™ lifestyle prescription program on physical activity and modifiable risk factors for chronic disease in individuals at risk.

METHODS: One hundred eighteen participants were recruited from 5 sites in Southwestern Ontario, Canada and randomized to either the intervention (HealtheSteps™ program, n = 59) or a wait-list control group (n = 59). The study comprised three phases: an Active Phase (0 to 6 months) consisted of bi-monthly in-person lifestyle coaching with access to a suite of eHealth technology supports (Heathesteps app, telephone coaching and a private HealtheSteps™ social network) followed by …

Public Health Guidelines For Physical Activity: Is There An App For That? A Review Of Android And Apple App Stores, Emily Knight, Melanie I Stuckey, Harry Prapavessis, Robert Petrella

Family Medicine Publications

BACKGROUND: Physical activity participation is an important behavior for modifying lifestyle-related disease risk. Mobile health apps for chronic disease management and prevention are being developed at a rapid rate. However, it is unclear whether these apps are evidence-based. Current public health recommendations for physical activity participation for adults highlight the importance of engaging in 150 minutes weekly of purposeful exercise, and muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days of the week.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of the present review were to (1) identify available evidence-based physical activity apps, and (2) identify technological features that could be leveraged to improve health …