University of Iowa researchers are recommending all patients be surveyed about their physical activity levels, after a new study underscores the link between physical activity and chronic disease.
The study, led by Lucas Carr, associate professor in the Department of Health and Human Physiology, examined responses from more than 7,000 patients at University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center who noted their level of physical activity in a questionnaire.
From patients’ answers to the questionnaire, the researchers found that those who reported the highest level of physical activity -; meaning they exercised moderately to vigorously at least 150 minutes per week -; were at statistically significant lower risk of having 19 chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, and diabetes.
The findings further suggest patients who are least active -; meaning they reported little to no exercise in a given week -; are at increased risk to develop a chronic disease.
Based on those results, the Iowa researchers also recommend health care systems provide information on health and wellness services for physically inactive patients who are at most risk.
“In our health care environment, there’s no easy pathway for a doctor to be reimbursed for helping patients become more physically active,” says Carr, the study’s corresponding author. “And so, for these patients, many of whom report insufficient activity, we need options to easily connect them with supportive services like exercise prescriptions and/or community health specialists.”
Most hospitals in the United States do not ask patients about their physical activity, and no hospital system in the Midwest has done so, according to the researchers. In this study, Carr partnered with Britt Marcussen, a family medicine physician in UI Health Care, to offer the questionnaire to patients visiting for annual wellness exam appointments. The study period was from November 2017 to December 2022.
