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Service Evaluation of an Exercise on Referral Scheme for Adults with Existing Health Conditions in the United Kingdom

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A Correction to this article was published on 20 April 2021

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper outlines a service evaluation of an exercise referral scheme for adults suffering from a variety of physical or mental health conditions or who were deemed are at risk of developing such conditions. The evaluation aimed to assess the impact of the scheme at increasing physical activity and at reducing BMI and waist circumference.

Method

This was a retrospective evaluation looking at levels of physical activity and changes to anthropometric measures over a period of 6 months. Each participant self-reported their levels of physical activity for the previous 7 days at three time points: baseline (T1), at 12-week exit from the scheme (T2), and at 6-month follow-up (T3). Waist circumference and BMI were also recorded by either a health professional or self-reported at these time points.

Results

Six hundred seventy participants were referred during the evaluation period, of whom 494 were eligible. Of those 494, 211 completed the 12-week scheme and 135 completed a 6-month follow-up. Significant increases in levels of physical activity were recorded between T1 and T2 and between T1 and T3. Furthermore, significant reductions in waist circumference were noted between T1 and T2 and between T1 and T3, and BMI significantly decreased between T1 and T2 but significantly increased between T2 and T3.

Conclusion

The service has proven effective at increasing levels of physical activity among participants and has had a positive impact on waist circumference and BMI for clients who remain engaged with the programme.

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Funding

This research was funded by the Public Health department of Durham County Council.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health and Social Care, Constantine Building, Teesside University, Borough Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 3BX, UK

    Grant J. McGeechan, Vicki J. Whittaker & Dorothy Newbury-Birch

  2. Public Health Department, County Hall, Durham County Council, Durham, DH1 5UJ, England

    Dawn Phillips, Lynn Wilson & Gillian O’Neill

  3. Children, Young People, and Families, North Tyneside Council, Quadrant, The Silverlink North, Cobalt Business Park, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE27 0BY, England

    Dawn Phillips

  4. Public Health, Gateshead Council, Civic Centre, Gateshead, NE8 1HH, England

    Lynn Wilson

Authors
  1. Grant J. McGeechan
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  2. Dawn Phillips
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Grant J. McGeechan.

Ethics declarations

Ethical Approval

Research ethics approval was granted by Newcastle University research ethics committee and by the local authority’s research governance department. All participants registered with the scheme gave written consent for their data to be used for research and evaluation purposes upon entry to the service.

Conflict of Interest

The following authors are, or were previously, employed by Durham County Council who commissioned the evaluation of this service: Gillian O’Neill, Dawn Phillips, and Dr. Lynn Wilson.

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McGeechan, G.J., Phillips, D., Wilson, L. et al. Service Evaluation of an Exercise on Referral Scheme for Adults with Existing Health Conditions in the United Kingdom. Int.J. Behav. Med. 25, 304–311 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-017-9699-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-017-9699-3

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