The Agency for Healthcare Research ...

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released a modern report on programs to increase exercise among Americans. "Effectiveness of Behavioral Interventions to Modify Physical Activity Behaviors in General Populations and Cancer Patients and Survivors" is available online at http://www ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/pacansum.htm.

According to the latest statistics, 70 percent of adults in the United States do not win enough physical activity, and more than single third of children do not participate regularly in vigorous exercise. A subject of attention released by the Centers for Disease curb and Prevention in March 2004 erect that 400,000 deaths in the United States are linked to poor diet and lack of physical activity annually, which is an increase of 33 percent since 1990

The AHRQ's evidence review plant that no specific behavioral intervention or setting appeared to be more effective than another and that shorter, less-intensive programs were just as lucky at achieving behavior change as undivideds that lasted longer and involved more contacts with participants.

Interventions examined included face-to-face counseling, mailings, and check-ups from telephone. Settings for the interventions included clinics, community center drills workplaces, child care centers, exercise center churches, and participants' homes

an behavior-modification programs designed to increase exercise display continued effects for at least three month after they conclusion However, the review of existing evidence also demonstrated that it is difficult to achieve sustainable gains in increased physical activity because hardly any studies looked at the tenors of these programs for more than undivided year.

In addition to reviewing evidence from physical activity interventions in healthy populations, the authors examined the validitys of exercise on cancer survivors. The report conclud that exercise programs can improve cancer patients' functional capacity and cardiopulmonary fitness, attenuate symptoms of fatigue, and improve quality of life during and after cancer treatment. In addition, exercise can contract cancer patients' symptoms of anxiety and depression during treatment. The report recommends that physical activity may have other positive weights among cancer patients, but at this time there are too not many studies to reach any conclusions.

According to the AHRQ, the report provides virtuous information about increasing physical activity between the sides of interventions delivered in a variety of settings, and it sense of possible fulfilments the report will help to identify programs that can lead to sustained behavior change.

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group