Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AHRQ Public Affairs
Monday, August 2, 2004
SOME PROGRAMS TO INCREASE EXERCISE HAVE LASTING EFFECTS
Some behavior modification programs designed to increase
exercise show continued effects for at least 3 months after they end, according
to a new report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
and supported by the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes
of Health. However, the review of existing evidence also demonstrated that
it is difficult to achieve sustainable gains in increased physical activity
because few studies looked at the effects of these programs for more than
1 year.
"This report underscores that the successful
expansion of efforts to increase physical activity first requires a better
understanding of what makes programs effective," said Health and Human
Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson.
Encouraging Americans to be more physically active is
a key part of President Bush's HealthierUS initiative and HHS' Steps to
a HealthierUS initiative. According to the latest statistics, 70 percent
of adults in the United States do not get enough physical activity, and
more than one-third
of children do not participate regularly in vigorous
exercise. A study released by HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
in March 2004 found that 400,000 deaths in the United States are linked
to poor diet and lack of physical activity-an increase of 33 percent since
1990.
AHRQ's evidence review found that no specific behavioral
intervention or setting appeared to be more effective than another and
that shorter, less-intensive programs were just as successful at achieving
behavior change as ones that lasted longer and involved more contacts with
participants. Interventions examined included face-to-face counseling,
mailings, and check-ups by telephone. Settings for the interventions included
clinics, community centers, schools, workplaces, child care centers, exercise
centers, churches, and participants' homes.
"This report provides good information about
increasing physical activity through interventions delivered in a variety
of settings," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. "Hopefully it
will help us to identify programs that can lead to sustained behavior change."
In addition to reviewing evidence from physical activity
interventions in healthy populations, the authors also examined the effects
of exercise on cancer survivors-people living with cancer or those who
have a personal history of the disease. The report concluded that exercise
programs can improve cancer patients' functional capacity and cardiopulmonary
fitness, reduce symptoms of fatigue, and improve quality of life during
and after cancer treatment. In addition, exercise can reduce cancer patients'
symptoms of anxiety and depression during treatment. The report suggests
that physical activity may have other positive effects among cancer patients,
but at this time there are too few studies to reach any conclusions.
NCI Director Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., said
"Regular physical activity is important for both lowering the risk
for and managing multiple diseases, including some cancers. The more we
understand about how to help people start and maintain exercise programs,
the more we can help cancer survivors
combat some of the early and late effects of cancer
and its treatment."
The report was prepared by a team of researchers
led by Jeremy Holtzman, M.D., at AHRQ's University of Minnesota Evidence-Based
Practice Center in Minneapolis. A summary of the report, Effectiveness
of Behavioral Interventions to Modify Physical Activity Behaviors in General
Populatins
and Cancer Patients and Survivors, can be found
at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/pacansum.htm
For the full report, go to http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/evrptfiles.htm#pacan
Printed copies may be ordered by calling (800) 358-9295 or by sending an
e-mail to ahrqpubs@ahrq.gov
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