Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behavior: Screening and Intervention in Ambulatory Primary Care

Physical Inactivity and Sedentary Behavior: Screening and Intervention in Ambulatory Primary Care

Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors are among the leading modifiable risk factors for chronic diseases. In France, despite the national Sport Health strategy, awareness campaigns physical inactivity and sedentary behavior worsened between 2005 and 2015. Primary healthcare professionals, including general practitioners and physiotherapists already involved in tertiary prevention, can act for primary and secondary prevention.

In this study, we hypothesize that an innovative care pathway based on opportunistic screening by general practitioners to assess levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior, and an individualized intervention by a physiotherapist effectively supports behavioral changes towards increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behavior at 6 months in inactive adults without chronic conditions.

This multicenter study, employing an innovative stepped-wedge cluster methodology, will enable healthcare professionals from all included multidisciplinary health centers to enhance their skills in supporting health behavior changes.

For all patients, participation in the study should lead to an increased awareness of the risks associated with physical inactivity and sedentary behaviors.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients
• Not benefiting from Long-Term Illness coverage
• Followed in primary outpatient care by one of the participating centers
• Patients identified as "inactive" by the ONAPS-PAQ questionnaire during an appointment with a general practitioner in the partner Multi-Professional Health Centers, whether sedentary or not
• Patient having signed informed consent to participate in the study
• Patients who understand and speak French
• Persons affiliated with a social security scheme or beneficiaries of a similar scheme
• Patients classified as "inactive" (< 600 MET.min/week) after 7-day actimetry analysis

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient receiving follow-up for another reason with physiotherapists participating in the protocol
• Persons referred to in articles L1121-5 to L1121-8 of the Public Health Code
• Patient participating in another interventional research study with an exclusion period still ongoing at pre-inclusion