Department of Health

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Physical activity

  • Last modified date:
    11 April 2007

It was announced in August 2006 that the Public Health minister Caroline Flint will work across government on a new strategy to increase the public's fitness and activity levels.

The Prime Minister asked Caroline Flint to develop a strategy to transform the population into a fitter and more active nation in the run up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Ms Flint will be working in partnership with the Department of Health, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Communities and Local Government, Department for Transport, Department for Education and Skills and delivery bodies like Sport England to build on the good work that has already taken place since the publication of Choosing Activity.

The minister will investigate further opportunities for promoting physical activity across the board and consider the gaps and priorities. By taking the 'Small Change Big Difference' approach, the Government will look at ways to support the public to make the minor changes that will make a big difference to their long-term health

General Practice Patient Activity Questionnaire

DH commissioned the development of he General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPPAQ).It is intended for use in routine general practice to assign patients into one of the following categories:

  • Inactive
  • Moderately inactive
  • Moderately active
  • Active

These categories are based upon the physical activity index (PAI) of the original European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC) questionnaire from which the GPPAQ was developed and can be cross referenced to existing Read codes.

The category will be used to help decide when advice and interventions to increase physical activity might be appropriate. The questionnaire is designed to take no longer than one minute to complete and its method of completion is intended to be self-explanatory.

As physical inactivity is a major public health problem, screening for physical inactivity in all adults is generally appropriate. GPPAQ was evaluated for use in patients aged 16-74 years who were free from longstanding illness or disability that prevented them from engaging in a physically active lifestyle.

The evaluation of GPPAQ was conducted on patients attending for routine consultations with a doctor or nurse and new registrations.

All patients waiting for any such appointments can be given the GPPAQ by reception staff to complete just prior to the appointment. The responses to each of the three questions can be transferred simply to the electronic template of GPPAQ, which will automatically assign a physical activity category.

DH statement on Exercise Referral

This statement clarifies the position with respect to local commissioning of exercise referral schemes in England.

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