Effectiveness of Physical Activity with Sports Scientist (PASS) Programme Among Patients with Non-Communicable Diseases in Primary Care: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the effectiveness of a physical activity (PA) promotion intervention administered by a sports scientist as part of team-based care in a primary care setting. Methods: A randomised controlled trial was conducted. Physically inactive participants aged 35-70 years with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) were recruited. All participants received PA screening by a nurse and brief PA counselling by a physician. The intervention group also received a tailored PA programme at the first visit and monthly phone calls for 6-8 months (from visit 1 to visit 3). Outcome assessments by a sports scientist were performed for both groups at every visit (visit 1: baseline, visit 2: follow-up, visit 3: end-point, visit 4: continuing). Outcomes included meeting PA recommendations and weekly time spent in aerobic PA. An intention-to-treat analysis was applied. Results: Sixty participants were randomly allocated to each group. At visit 2 (months 3-4), significantly higher proportion of participants in the intervention group were meeting PA recommendations compared with the control group: aerobic PA (23.3% vs. 6.7%, p < 0.05), muscle-strengthening activity (31.7% vs. 0%, p < 0.001), and multicomponent PA (20.0% vs. 0%, p < 0.001). Median time spent in moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA (MVPA) was also higher (90 min/week vs. 60 min/week, p < 0.05). Weekly MVPA time increased significantly from baseline in both groups. Conclusions: Integrating a sports scientist into team-based care effectively improved short-term PA levels when intervention intensity was highest. The team-based care integrating sports scientists into primary care may enhance PA promotion for patients with NCDs.