An ecological approach with primary-care counseling to promote physical activity.

Background: The study examined the effectiveness of primary-care counseling using a 2-pronged intervention to increase physical activity (PA) in a southeastern US city.

Methods: Two hundred thirty-seven patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups (experimental [counseling and educational map], control group #1 [counseling only], or control #2 [standard care]) to identify PA differences. The experimental group received physician counseling and an educational map highlighting accessible recreational facilities within a 2-mile radius of the health center.