Feasibility of implementing a preventive physical exercise programme recommended by general practitioners in cardiovascular risk patients: A pre-post comparison study

Figures & data

Table 1. Mean and 95% confidence interval of anthropometric variables and physical condition of patients who started the PE programme and those who finished the programme after 10 weeks.

Study variables	All participants			Men		Women		ANOVA for repeated measures with 2 study factors: time and sex Bonferronís method
	Baseline	After 10 weeks	95% IC Differ. p	Baseline	After 10 weeks	Baseline	After 10 weeks
Body weight, kg	79.0 (78.2, 79.8)	78.5 (77.8, 79.2)	(−0.64, −0.19) p < 0.001	87.2 (85.9, 88.5)	87.1 (85.8, 88.4)	76.3 (75.5, 77.1)	75.6** (74.9, 76.3)	p = 0.025 F = 5.1
Body mass index, BMI, kg/m^2	30.2 (29.9, 30.5)	29.9 (29.6, 30.2)	(−0.34, −0.20) p < 0.001	31.1 (30.7, 31.6)	30.8* (30.4, 31.2)	29.8 (29.6, 30.0)	29.6** (29.3, 29.9)	p = 0.393 F = 0.7
Physical condition
Aerobic fitness, ml/min/kg	29.7 (29.2, 30.2)	32.2 (29.7, 32.7)	(2.32, 2.79) p < 0.001	32.0 (31.1, 32.9)	34.6** (33.7, 35.5)	28.9 (28.4, 29.4)	31.4** (30.8, 32.0)	p = 0.524 F = 0.4
Strength, m	5.4 (5.3, 5.5)	5.9 (5.8, 6.0)	(0.57, 0.67) p < 0.001	6.5 (6.3, 6.7)	7.3** (7.2, 7.4)	4.9 (4.8, 5.0)	5.3** (5.2, 5.4)	p < 0.001 F = 76.8
Flexibility, cm	1.6 (1.1, 2.1)	3.8 (3.4, 4.2)	(2.06, 2.63) p < 0.001	−0.52 (−1.3, 0.3)	2.1** (1.3, 2.9)	2.4 (1.8, 3.0)	4.8** (4.3, 5.3)	p = 0.057 F = 3.6
Balance, no. falls	2.1 (1.8, 2.3)	1.6 (1.5, 1.7)	(−0.60, −0.33) p < 0.001	2.1 (1.7, 2.4)	1.6** (1.3, 1.9)	2.1 (1.9, 2.3)	1.6** (1.5, 1.7)	p = 0.916 F = 0.01
	N = 3656	N = 2962		N = 1111	N = 900	N = 2545	N = 2062

This analysis is performed for the total population and stratified by sex, and a comparison has been made by time (initial vs. final) and by sex x time.

* Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) when compared to baseline.

** Statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) when compared to baseline.

95% IC Differ: 95% confidence interval for the difference.

F: F-Snedecor.

Table 2. Mean and 95% confidence interval of health-related quality of life of patients who started the PE programme and those who finished the programme after 10 weeks.

Study variables health-related quality of life	All participants			Men		Women		ANOVA for repeated measures with 2 study factors: time and sex Bonferronís method
	Baseline	After 10 weeks	95% IC Differ. p	Baseline	After 10 weeks	Baseline	After 10 weeks
Physical functioning	75.3 (74.0, 76.6)	77.4 (76.2, 78.6)	(1.22, 3.03) p < 0.001	80.0 (77.8, 82.2)	82.2* (80.0, 84.4)	74.0 (72.9, 75.1)	76.1** (75.0, 77.2)	p = 0.870 F = 0.02
Role-physical	85.6 (83.8, 87.4)	90.1 (88.8, 91.6)	(2.33, 6.03) p < 0.001	88.6 (85.5, 91.7)	92.3* (89.7, 94.9)	84.7 (83.0, 86.4)	89.4** (87.9, 90.9)	p = 0.596 F = 0.3
Bodily pain	64.6 (63.1, 66.1)	68.4 (67.0, 69.8)	(1.56, 4.12) p < 0.001	70.5 (67.8, 73.2)	71.6 (69.1, 74.1)	63.0 (61.6, 64.4)	67.5** (66.2, 68.8)	p < 0.010 F = 6.6
General health	56.4 (55.2, 57.6)	58.9 (57.7, 60.1)	(1.70, 3.41) p < 0.001	60.2 (58.1, 62.3)	62.9** (60.9, 64.9)	55.4 (54.3, 56.5)	57.8** (56.8, 59.8)	p = 0.744 F = 0.1
Energy/fatigue (vitality)	56.6 (55.2, 58)	62.0 (60.7, 63.3)	(3.78, 5.82) p < 0.001	62.4 (59.9, 64.9)	66.3** (64.0, 68.6)	55.1 (53.8, 56.4)	60.8** (59.6, 62.0)	p = 0.088 F =2.9
Social functioning	73.7 (72.2, 75.2)	77.0 (75.6, 78.4)	(1.91, 4.36) p < 0.001	78.0 (75.4, 80.6)	80.8* (78.3, 83.3)	72.5 (71.2, 73.8)	76.0** (74.7, 77.3)	p = 0.593 F = 0.3
Role-emotional	89.0 (87.4, 90.6)	92.5 (91.2, 93.8)	(2.04, 5.04) p < 0.001	92.7 (90.0, 95.4)	96.2** (94.0, 98.4)	87.8 (86.3, 89.3)	91.4** (90.1, 92.7)	p = 0.969 F = 0.001
Mental health	64.0 (62.7, 65.3)	68.8 (67.6, 70.0)	(3.56, 5.57) p < 0.001	70.2 (67.9, 72.5)	74.3** (72.1, 76.5)	62.3 (61.2, 63.4)	67.4** (66.3, 68.5)	p = 0.351 F = 0.9
Change in health	54.4 (53.0, 55.8)	45.8 (44.3, 47.3)	(−10.1, −6.9) p < 0.001	52.4 (49.9, 54.9)	44.3** (41.6, 47.0)	54.9 (53.7, 56.1)	46.1** (44.8, 47.4)	p = 0.727 F = 0.1
	N = 3656	N = 2345		N = 2545	N = 1639	N = 1111	N = 706

This analysis is performed for the total population and stratified by sex, and a comparison has been made by time (initial vs. final) and by sex x time.

* Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) when compared to baseline.

** Statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) when compared to baseline.

95% IC Differ.: 95% confidence interval for the difference.

F: F-Snedecor.

OR: Odds ratio.

CI: Confidence interval.

Table 3. Number and percentage of subjects who gave a positive opinion to each of the items of the variable ‘benefits provided by the program’ and number and percentage of subjects who showed their willingness to continue exercising at 6 months.

	All patients N (%)	Men N (%)	Women N (%)	Benefits x sex P	OR (CI 95%)
Benefits provided by the programme
Flexibility and agility	719 (43.9)	170 (44.1)	556 (44.4)	p < 0.001 (X^2 = 27.8)	0.99 (0.78–1.25)
Knowledge and motivation for physical exercise	78 (4.8)	25 (6.4)	54 (4.3)		1.52 (0.92–2.52)
Reduction of blood pressure	32 (2.0)	9 (2.2)	23 (1.8)		1.22 (0.54–2.75)
Improvement in well-being	472 (28.9)	83 (21.5)	382 (30.5)		0.62 (0.47–0.82)*
Weight loss or reduction of body volume	80 (4.9)	33 (8.7)	48 (3.8)		1.72 (1.07–2.74)*
Interpersonal relationships	109 (6.7)	21 (5.6)	85 (6.8)		0.81 (0.49–1.34)
Other	146 (8.9)	44 (11.4)	103 (8.2)		1.44 (0.98–2.11)
Total patients	1636 (100)	385 (100)	1251 (100)
Willingness to continue exercising regularly in the next 6 months
Yes, for sure	1,068 (49.4)	277 (52.1)	792 (48.6)	p = 0.154 (X^2 = 5.26)
Probably yes	988 (45.7)	228 (43.0)	760 (46.6)
No, for sure	11 (0.5)	0	10 (0.6)
Probably no	94 (4.4)	27 (4.8)	68 (4.2)
Total patients	2162 (100)	532 (100)	1630 (100)

This analysis was performed of the patients who completed the satisfaction survey at the end of the exercise programme considered globally and stratified by sex, and a comparison by sex was made.

* Statistical significance (p < 0.05).

OR: Odds ratio.

CI: Confidence interval.

Figure 1. (A) Changes in physical fitness in men and women at 10 weeks as compared with baseline. (B) Changes in mood in men and women at 10 weeks as compared with baseline.