Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

School of Medicine

Department

Not Listed

Committee Chair

Peter Giacobbi

Committee Co-Chair

Treah Haggerty

Committee Member

George Kelley

Committee Member

Christa Lilly

Committee Member

Carena Winters

Abstract

Physical inactivity is an important contributor to morbidity and all-cause mortality and the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended that physicians increase their role in physical activity assessment and promotion to combat physical inactivity and related comorbidities. Healthcare providers are increasingly called upon to initiate physical activity promotion with their patients to manage conditions like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Still, recent reports indicate that less than half of primary care visits include some type of physical activity promotion. Although the National Physical Activity Plan includes some recommendations for clinicians and the healthcare sector on physical activity promotion, it does not include a detailed assessment of the evidence and the processes for standardizing physical activity-related care in the clinical setting. The presented dissertation expands our understanding of exercise promotion in the clinical setting by having: 1) closely examined published studies with focus on how physical activity promotion is conducted, by whom, and under what circumstances in the clinical setting; 2) evaluating the effectiveness of physical activity promotion in the clinical setting, and 3) piloting a weight management tablet application developed to increase patient activation and engagement in the clinic setting at West Virginia University (WVU) Medicine. This dissertation contributes to the evolving field of physical activity assessment, promotion, and counseling in clinical settings. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating physical activity as a standard of care, leveraging technology to enhance assessment and promotion, and the potential of specialized personnel in delivering interventions. The use of theoretical frameworks and interdisciplinary collaboration can further enhance the effectiveness of these interventions. This work sets the stage for future research that can advance healthcare practices, improve patient outcomes, and address the growing burden of chronic diseases associated with physical inactivity.

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