The relationship of stage of change for smoking cessation to stage of change for fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity in a health plan population.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between stage of change for smoking cessation and stage of change for (1) fruit and vegetable consumption and (2) physical activity.

Design: The data come from a cross-sectional telephone survey administered to a stratified random sample of health plan members (n = 9675).

Setting: This study was conducted at a mixed-model health plan with approximately 1 million adult members.

Physical inactivity: direct cost to a health plan.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to estimate the total medical expenditures attributable to physical inactivity patterns among members of a large health plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Methods: The study used a cost-of-illness approach to attribute medical and pharmacy costs for specific diseases to physical inactivity in 2000. Relative risks come from the scientific literature, demonstrating that heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis, depression, and anxiety are directly related to individual physical activity patterns in adults.