title: Randomised controlled trial of a pedometer-based telephone intervention to increase physical activity among cardiac patients not attending cardiac rehabilitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the effectiveness of a pedometer-based telephone intervention on the physical activity levels of cardiac patients who did not attend a CRP.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomised controlled trial was conducted with 215 patients referred to a CRP but who could not or chose not to attend. The 6-week intervention included self-monitoring of physical activity using a pedometer and step calendar; and behavioural counselling and goal setting sessions. Data were collected at baseline, 6 weeks and 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study groups did not differ significantly at baseline. After 6 weeks, improvements in total physical activity time (p=0.027), total physical activity sessions (p=0.003), walking time (p=0.013) and walking sessions (p=0.002) in the intervention group were significantly greater than the control group after adjusting for baseline differences, and remained significant at 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings that the pedometer-based telephone intervention was successful in increasing physical activity levels in cardiac patients who did not attend a CRP could result in major health benefits for this group of people.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pedometer-based telephone intervention could be offered as an effective and accessible option for patients not attending a CRP to increase and maintain their physical activity levels after hospitalisation.
authors.affiliation: South Eastern Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service, NSW, Australia. susan.furber@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Furber
authors.forename: Lyra
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: Philayrath
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Phongsavan
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bauman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D000072038:Cardiac Rehabilitation; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking