Behavioral counseling to promote physical activity and a healthful diet to prevent cardiovascular disease in adults: a systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

Description

This study was performed to review evidence on recent lifestyle modification trials in primary prevention in order to base the future recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The trials included in this review were about interventions that focussed on physical activity and healthy diet, and data from 73 studies were analyzed. Results revealed that intervention intensity was the most important factor for differences in effect size among trials. Medium- to high-intensity dietary behavioural counselling, with or without physical activity counselling, was associated with small but statistically significant improvements in adiposity, blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well as changes in health behaviours. The interventions with significant benefits beyond 12 months were all high-intensity counselling interventions with group, phone, or mail contact throughout the trial. Thus, further trials are needed to evaluate the intensity level that would be more appropriate according to populations and the facility to implement in primary care and to better understand how to maintain behavioural change over time.