Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram.
*One record was identified from the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. When screening the record for eligibility, three reports were associated with this record, all of which met the review inclusion criteria. Therefore, all three reports were sought for retrieval, assessed for eligibility, collated and reported as The Men on the Move study [404142]. †N = 35 reports of N = 28 individual studies were included. Two reports were collated and reported as The CalPERS Health Matters study [4344]. Two reports were collated and reported as The RAPID study [4546].
Table 1
Summary of included studies.
| Study Design (N = 35)* | Clinical features of study population (N = 28)* | |||
| Quantitative | N† | Quantitative/Mixed/Other methods/Not reported | N† | |
| RCT | 5 | Inactive or lifestyle risk Chronic conditions (COPD, CVD etc.) Prediabetes or diabetes Psychosocial needs Issues affecting health and wellbeing | 7 5 4 4 1 | |
| Non-RCT | 9 | |||
| Mixed/Other methods | N† | |||
| Development process | 3 | |||
| Other | 8 | |||
| Not reported | N† | |||
| 3 | ||||
| Qualitative | N† | Qualitative | N† | |
| Interviews | 5 | CVD or risk of CVD Inactive | 1 1 | |
| Focus groups | 2 | |||
| Profile of intermediaries (N = 28)* | ||||
| Additional training‡ | Research study-specific [495051535662] | |||
| Behavioural change techniques [474961] | ||||
| Motivational interviewing [506473] | ||||
| Delivering health messages and services [4269] | ||||
| Personal outcomes approaches [73] | ||||
| N (%) | ||||
| Pre-existing service | Yes | 15 (54) | ||
| No§ | 11 (39) | |||
| Unclear | 2 (7) | |||
| N (%) | ||||
| Location of the intermediary | Clinical settings | 7 (25) | ||
| Community and voluntary sector | 4 (14) | |||
| PA sector | 2 (7) | |||
| All of the above settings | 5 (18) | |||
| Research settings | 1 (4) | |||
| Not reported | 9 (32) | |||
[i] This table details included studies’ design, study population and the profile of intermediaries. *Difference in values as N = 35 reports were identified reporting data from N = 28 individual studies. †Represents a frequency count. ‡Additional training undertaken by intermediaries was not reported in over half of included studies (N = 15, 54%). §i.e., the role was created for the study. Abbreviations: COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, CVD – cardiovascular disease, PA – physical activity, RCT – randomised controlled trials.
Table 2
Summary of local PA and exercise services and PA outcomes.
| Most commonly reported local PA and exercise services (N = 28) | |||
| N* | |||
| Exercise and fitness classes | 14 | ||
| Self-directed | 14 | ||
| Walking, jogging and running | 13 | ||
| Lifestyle programmes | 8 | ||
| Gardening and outdoor activities | 7 | ||
| Other | 26 | ||
| Outcomes related to PA (N = 17)† | |||
| Methods | Outcome | Short term‡ | Long-term‡ |
| Quantitative Mixed/Other methods Not reported | Active travel | – | – |
| Change in behaviour change stage | NR | + | |
| Decrease in sedentary behaviour | + | NR | |
| Increased attendance and participation in local PA and exercise | + | + | |
| Increased energy and caloric expenditure | + | + | |
| Increase in steps per day | + | +/– | |
| Increased PA | + | +/– | |
| Increased physical fitness | + | NR | |
| Meeting PA guidelines | + | – | |
| Positive PA experience | NR | + | |
| Qualitative | Increased attendance and participation in local PA and exercise | +§ | |
[i] *Represents a frequency count. †The remainder of the studies were omitted as they were i) qualitative studies that did not report on a PA intervention [585960627074] or ii) due to the lack of PA outcome measures [6364697173]. ‡An overall findings effect indicator approach was used for each reported result: 1) positive (+), 2) negative (–), or 3) mixed (+/–). §Length of follow-up not reported. Abbreviations: NR – not reported, PA – physical activity.
Figure 2
Logic model of the processes of referral, assessment, follow-up and outcomes in relation to PA and discharge.
This logic model has been developed by summarising the included studies.