Objective
Despite numerous benefits of consuming a healthy diet and receiving
regular physical activity, engagement in these behaviors is suboptimal.
Since primary care visits are influential in promoting healthy behaviors, we
sought to describe whether and how diet and physical activity are discussed
during older adultsâ primary care visits.
Methods
115 adults ages 65 and older consented to have their routine primary
care visits recorded. Audio-recorded visits were transcribed and diet and
physical activity content was coded and analyzed.
Results
Diet and physical activity were discussed in the majority of visits.
When these discussions occurred, they lasted an average of a minute and a
half. Encouragement and broad discussion of benefits of improved diet and
physical activity levels were the common type of exchange. Discussions
rarely involved patient behavioral self-assessments, patient questions, or
providersâ recommendations.
Conclusions
The majority of patient visits include discussion of diet and
physical activity, but these discussions are often brief and rarely include
recommendations.
Practice Implications
Providers may want to consider ways to expand their lifestyle
behavior discussions to increase patient involvement and provide more
detailed, actionable recommendations for behavior change. Additionally,
given time constraints, a wider array of approaches to lifestyle counseling
may be necessary.