Journal article
Identifying Patients at Risk for Cardiometabolic and Chronic Diseases by Using the Exercise Vital Sign to Screen for Physical Inactivity
Preventing chronic disease, Vol.22(E02), 240149
01/02/2025
DOI: 10.5888/pcd22.240149
PMCID: PMC11721010
PMID: 39745943
Abstract
Physical inactivity is a major health risk factor for multiple chronic diseases and early death. Despite evidence supporting diet and physical activity behavioral counseling interventions, physical inactivity is rarely measured or managed in primary care. A need exists to fully explore and demonstrate the value of screening patients for physical inactivity. This study aimed to 1) compare health profiles of patients screened for inactivity versus patients not screened for inactivity, and 2) compare health profiles of inactive, insufficiently active, and active patients as measured by the Exercise Vital Sign screener.
The study sample comprised adult patients attending a well visit from November 1, 2017, through December 1, 2022, at a large midwestern university hospital. We extracted data from electronic medical records on exercise behavior reported by patients using the Exercise Vital Sign (EVS) questionnaire. We extracted data on demographics characteristics, resting pulse, encounters, and disease diagnoses from PCORnet Common Data Model (version 6.1). We used the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index to determine disease burden. We compared patients with complete and valid EVS values (n =7,261) with patients not screened for inactivity (n = 33,445). We conducted further comparisons between screened patients reporting 0 minutes (inactive), 1 to 149 minutes (insufficiently active), or ≥150 minutes (active) minutes per week of moderate-vigorous physical activity.
Patients screened for inactivity had significantly lower rates of several comorbid conditions, including obesity (P < .001), diabetes (P < .001), and hypertension (P < .001) when compared with unscreened patients. Compared with insufficiently active and inactive patients, active patients had a lower risk of 19 inactivity-related comorbid conditions including obesity (P < .001), depression (P < .001), hypertension (P < .001), diabetes (P < .001), and valvular disease (P < .001).
These findings suggest inactive and insufficiently active patients are at increased risk for multiple inactivity-related chronic conditions. These findings further support existing recommendations that inactive patients receive or be referred to evidence-based lifestyle behavioral counseling programs.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Identifying Patients at Risk for Cardiometabolic and Chronic Diseases by Using the Exercise Vital Sign to Screen for Physical Inactivity
- Creators
- Cole G Chapman - University of IowaMary C Schroeder - University of IowaBritt Marcussen - University of IowaLucas J Carr - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Preventing chronic disease, Vol.22(E02), 240149
- DOI
- 10.5888/pcd22.240149
- PMID
- 39745943
- PMCID
- PMC11721010
- NLM abbreviation
- Prev Chronic Dis
- ISSN
- 1545-1151
- eISSN
- 1545-1151
- Publisher
- CENTERS DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION
- Grant note
- Stead Family Children's Hospital at the University of Iowa
We acknowledge several individuals whose contributions made this work possible, including Eva Donnelly, BS, for assisting with our literature review, Jennifer Bunning, BS, for technical support in implementing the EVS screener, and Diva Perez, BS, for assist-ing in data procurement. We also thank the many patients who provided their data to support this study. Funding was provided by the Stead Family Children's Hospital at the University of Iowa. The results of this study are presented clearly, honestly, and without fabrication, falsification, or inappropriate data manipula-tion. The results of this study do not constitute endorsement by the American College of Sports Medicine.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/02/2025
- Academic Unit
- Family and Community Medicine; Pharmacy Practice and Science; Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center; Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center; Health, Sport, and Human Physiology
- Record Identifier
- 9984770893902771
Metrics
101 Record Views