• Meera Sreedhara, Valerie J Silfee, Milagros C Rosal, Molly E Waring, and Stephenie C Lemon.
• Clinical and Population Health Research Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
• Fam Pract. 2018 Jul 23; 35 (4): 420425420-425.

BackgroundRegular physical activity (PA) lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but few US adults meet PA guidelines. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends primary care providers offer PA counselling for CVD prevention. We examined the association between adherence to PA guidelines and reported provider advice to increase PA among US adults with overweight/obesity and ≥1 additional CVD risk factor.MethodsCross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2014) on PA and provider advice to increase PA were analysed for 4158 adults (≥20 years old) with overweight/obesity who reported ≥1 of hypertension, high cholesterol or impaired fasting glucose. Adherence to federal PA guidelines was determined using self-reported PA data from the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Meeting PA guidelines was defined as ≥150 minutes/week moderate intensity PA, ≥75 minutes/week vigorous intensity, or an equivalent combination. Participants self-reported provider advice to increase PA.ResultsIn total, 57.7% of US adults with overweight/obesity and ≥1 additional CVD risk factor who did not meet PA guidelines reported provider advice to increase PA compared to 49.7% of adults who met PA guidelines. Adults who did not meet PA guidelines were more likely to report provider PA advice (aOR = 1.21; 95% CI = 1.00-1.47).ConclusionsUS adults with CVD risk factors who do not meet PA guidelines are more likely to receive provider advice to increase PA, but only half receive such advice. Strategies to increase provider advice are needed to improve adherence to USPSTF guidelines among US adults with overweight/obesity and additional CVD risk factors.

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