Motivational counselling for physical activity in patients with coronary artery disease not participating in cardiac rehabilitation.
BACKGROUND
Many patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) fail to attend cardiac rehabilitation following acute coronary events because they lack motivation to exercise. Theory-based approaches to promote physical activity among non-participants in cardiac rehabilitation are required.


DESIGN
A randomized trial comparing physical activity levels at baseline, 6, and 12 months between a motivational counselling (MC) intervention group and a usual care (UC) control group.


METHOD
One hundred and forty-one participants hospitalized with acute coronary syndromes not planning to attend cardiac rehabilitation were recruited at a single centre and randomized to either MC (n = 69) or UC (n = 72). The MC intervention, designed from an ecological perspective, included one face-to-face contact and eight telephone contacts with a trained physiotherapist over a 52-week period. The UC group received written information about starting a walking programme and brief physical activity advice from their attending cardiologist. Physical activity was measured by: 7-day physical activity recall interview; self-report questionnaire; and pedometer at baseline, 6, and 12 months after randomization.


RESULTS
Latent growth curve analyses, which combined all three outcome measures into a single latent construct, showed that physical activity increased more over time in the MC versus the UC group (µ(add) = 0.69, p < 0.05).


CONCLUSION
Patients with CAD not participating in cardiac rehabilitation receiving a theory-based motivational counselling intervention were more physically active at follow-up than those receiving usual care. This intervention may extend the reach of cardiac rehabilitation by increasing physical activity in those disinclined to participate in structured programmes.