Implementation of a Physical Activity Vital Sign in Primary Care: Associations Between Physical Activity, Demographic Characteristics, and Chronic Disease Burden.

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity is important to prevent and manage multiple chronic medical conditions. The objective of this study was to describe the implementation of a physical activity vital sign (PAVS) in a primary care setting and examine the association between physical activity with demographic characteristics and chronic disease burden. METHODS: We extracted data from the electronic medical records of patients who had visits from July 2018 through January 2020 in a primary care clinic in which PAVS was implemented as part of the intake process. Data collected included self-reported physical activity, age, sex, body mass index, race, ethnicity, and a modified Charlson Comorbidity Index score indicating chronic disease burden. We classified PAVS into 3 categories of time spent in moderate to strenuous intensity physical activity: consistently inactive (0 min/wk), inconsistently active (<150 min/wk), and consistently active (≥150 min/wk). We used χ2 tests of independence to test for association between PAVS categories and all other variables. RESULTS: During the study period, 13,704 visits, corresponding to 8,741 unique adult patients, had PAVS recorded. Overall, 18.1% of patients reported being consistently inactive, 48.3% inconsistently active, and 33.7% consistently active. All assessed demographic and clinical covariates were associated with PAVS classification (all P < .001). Larger percentages of consistent inactivity were reported for female, older, and underweight or obese patients. Larger percentages of consistent activity were reported for male, younger, and normal weight or overweight patients. CONCLUSION: Using PAVS as a screening tool in primary care enables physicians to understand the physical activity status of their patients and can be useful in identifying inactive patients who may benefit from physical activity counseling.

Physical Activity in Adults With an Amputation as Assessed With a Self-Reported Exercise Vital Sign.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) is important for the prevention and treatment of numerous chronic medical conditions. Individuals with a limb amputation face unique challenges for staying physically active. There are few studies evaluating PA of civilians with amputation in the United States. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate self-reported PA in persons with an amputation in the outpatient setting using a standardized exercise vital sign (EVS) and correlate PA with demographic information, amputation characteristics, and disease burden. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Outpatient rehabilitation clinic at a tertiary care institution. INTERVENTIONS: N/A. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred twenty-nine patients with limb amputation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: EVS (self-reported weekly participation in moderate to vigorous intensity exercise), disease burden using a modified Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), possession of a prosthetic limb, amputation level, time from amputation, body mass index (BMI), gender, race, and age. RESULTS: A total of 28.8% of patients with limb amputation self-reported exercising at or above 150 min/wk as recommended by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); 31.8% of patients with transfemoral amputations, 27.8% with transtibial amputations, and 36% with upper extremity amputations reported exercising the recommended amount. Those with a prosthesis exercised 0.91 h/wk more than those without a prosthesis (95% CI 0.01, 1.8, P = .047), and female patients exercised 1.09 h/wk less than male patients (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.69-0.49, P < .001). Increasing age (P = .045), CCI (P = .006), and BMI (P = .005) all had a small but significant correlation with lower EVS. There was no statistically significant correlation between EVS and amputation level, race, or time from amputation. CONCLUSIONS: Less than one-third of patients with an amputation meet HHS recommendations for aerobic exercise. Male patients, those with a prosthesis, lower CCI, lower BMI, and younger age reported higher PA rates. Assessing EVS can help clinicians to identify patients with amputation that are not sufficiently active and may benefit from PA counseling and prescription.