Implementation of a Physical Activity Vital Sign in Primary Care: Associations Between Physical Activity, Demographic Characteristics, and Chronic Disease Burden

Introduction Physical activity is important to prevent and manage multiple chronic medical conditions. The objective of this study was to de-scribe the implementation of a physical activity vital sign (PAVS) in a primary care setting and examine the association between physical activity with demographic characteristics and chronic dis-ease burden. Methods We extracted data from the electronic medical records of patients who had visits from July 2018 through January 2020 in a primary care clinic in which PAVS was implemented as part of the intake process. Data collected included self-reported physical activity, age, sex, body mass index, race, ethnicity, and a modified Charlson Comorbidity Index score indicating chronic disease bur-den. We classified PAVS into 3 categories of time spent in moder -ate to strenuous intensity physical activity: consistently inactive (0 min/wk), inconsistently active (<150 min/wk), and consistently active (>= 150 min/wk). We used chi 2 tests of independence to test for association between PAVS categories and all other variables. Results During the study period, 13,704 visits, corresponding to 8,741 unique adult patients, had PAVS recorded. Overall, 18.1% of pa-tients reported being consistently inactive, 48.3% inconsistently active, and 33.7% consistently active. All assessed demographic and clinical covariates were associated with PAVS classification (all P < .001). Larger percentages of consistent inactivity were re-ported for female, older, and underweight or obese patients. Lar-ger percentages of consistent activity were reported for male, younger, and normal weight or overweight patients. Conclusion Using PAVS as a screening tool in primary care enables physi-cians to understand the physical activity status of their patients and can be useful in identifying inactive patients who may benefit from physical activity counseling.