Exercise capacity after long-term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapists
Background: Research has shown that physical activity on prescription (PAP), used in Swedish healthcare, increases patients’ physical activity, but data are lacking regarding the long-term effects of PAP on exercise capacity. Therefor exercise capacity was evaluated in patients with metabolic risk f...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02813432.2025.2450376 |
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| author | Daniel Karsberg Zotterman Åsa Cider Stefan Lundqvist |
| author_facet | Daniel Karsberg Zotterman Åsa Cider Stefan Lundqvist |
| author_sort | Daniel Karsberg Zotterman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Research has shown that physical activity on prescription (PAP), used in Swedish healthcare, increases patients’ physical activity, but data are lacking regarding the long-term effects of PAP on exercise capacity. Therefor exercise capacity was evaluated in patients with metabolic risk factors, after 4.5 years of PAP treatment provided by physiotherapists in primary healthcare.Method: This study included 98 patients (49% women; mean age, 56 years) with metabolic risk factors, who were still physically inactive after a previous 6-month PAP treatment. The patients received physiotherapist-provided PAP treatment for 4.5 years, including 11 follow-ups and 6 exercise capacity tests.Results: After 4.5 years, 41 patients completed the final exercise capacity test (58% drop-out rate). Compared to baseline, the whole cohort exhibited a significantly increased exercise capacity (9.1 W, p = 0.014) with a small effect size (r = 0.27), with no significant differences associated with age or gender.Conclusion: The increased exercise capacity may indicate positive effects on longevity, and consolidates previous findings that long-term behavior change is possible among physically inactive patients. It also demonstrates the feasibility of continuous exercise capacity testing with physiotherapist support in an ordinary primary care setting. The drop-out rate and lack of control group complicate the interpretation of the effects of PAP treatment on the increased exercise capacity. Further research should strive for an RCT study design. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dbb0e5574dcf43b3a25769452545941f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0281-3432 1502-7724 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care |
| spelling | doaj-art-dbb0e5574dcf43b3a25769452545941f2025-01-24T04:46:59ZengTaylor & Francis GroupScandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care0281-34321502-77242025-01-0111110.1080/02813432.2025.2450376Exercise capacity after long-term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapistsDaniel Karsberg Zotterman0Åsa Cider1Stefan Lundqvist2Unit of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenUnit of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenUnit of Physiotherapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, SwedenBackground: Research has shown that physical activity on prescription (PAP), used in Swedish healthcare, increases patients’ physical activity, but data are lacking regarding the long-term effects of PAP on exercise capacity. Therefor exercise capacity was evaluated in patients with metabolic risk factors, after 4.5 years of PAP treatment provided by physiotherapists in primary healthcare.Method: This study included 98 patients (49% women; mean age, 56 years) with metabolic risk factors, who were still physically inactive after a previous 6-month PAP treatment. The patients received physiotherapist-provided PAP treatment for 4.5 years, including 11 follow-ups and 6 exercise capacity tests.Results: After 4.5 years, 41 patients completed the final exercise capacity test (58% drop-out rate). Compared to baseline, the whole cohort exhibited a significantly increased exercise capacity (9.1 W, p = 0.014) with a small effect size (r = 0.27), with no significant differences associated with age or gender.Conclusion: The increased exercise capacity may indicate positive effects on longevity, and consolidates previous findings that long-term behavior change is possible among physically inactive patients. It also demonstrates the feasibility of continuous exercise capacity testing with physiotherapist support in an ordinary primary care setting. The drop-out rate and lack of control group complicate the interpretation of the effects of PAP treatment on the increased exercise capacity. Further research should strive for an RCT study design.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02813432.2025.2450376Physical activityexercise testcardiorespiratory fitnessprimary health carephysical therapists |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Karsberg Zotterman Åsa Cider Stefan Lundqvist Exercise capacity after long-term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapists Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care Physical activity exercise test cardiorespiratory fitness primary health care physical therapists |
| title | Exercise capacity after long-term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapists |
| title_full | Exercise capacity after long-term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapists |
| title_fullStr | Exercise capacity after long-term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapists |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exercise capacity after long-term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapists |
| title_short | Exercise capacity after long-term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapists |
| title_sort | exercise capacity after long term physical activity on prescription provided by physiotherapists |
| topic | Physical activity exercise test cardiorespiratory fitness primary health care physical therapists |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02813432.2025.2450376 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT danielkarsbergzotterman exercisecapacityafterlongtermphysicalactivityonprescriptionprovidedbyphysiotherapists AT asacider exercisecapacityafterlongtermphysicalactivityonprescriptionprovidedbyphysiotherapists AT stefanlundqvist exercisecapacityafterlongtermphysicalactivityonprescriptionprovidedbyphysiotherapists |