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Table 1 Summary of included studies

From: Adherence to exercise referral schemes by participants – what do providers and commissioners need to know? A systematic review of barriers and facilitators

First Author & year

Design & Quality

Intervention

Venue

Duration (weeks)

Population

Beaufort Research 2013 [49]

CSSc

Welsh National ERS

LC

16

Wales; N = 1000; Age ≥18

Beers 2006 [21]

Qualitativeb

Free access to advice and facilities – ELC participants

LC

12

Wirral; N = 181; Age 16–79

Carroll 2002 [19]

Qualitativea

GP referred - activities including gym, swimming and aerobics

LC

Varied

Mid and North England; N = 35; South Asian Muslim women; plus 10 GP referrers, 13 scheme providers

Clarke 1996 [43]

CSSb

GP referred ERS with personalised counselling and tailored exercise prescription

LC

12

Birmingham; N = 500; mean age ca 46 [SD ca 14.0]; 69 % F; 40 % social class IV/V

Cock 2006 [35]

Qualitativec

GP referred ERS (5 schemes); activities included gym-, water- and hall-based exercises

LC

10–13

South & North England; N = 1024

Crone 2002 [22]

Qualitativeb

GP referred ERS (3 schemes)

Varied

Ca 12

North & South West England; N = 18; mean age 55.5 years; F13 M5

Crone 2005 [54]

Cummings 2010 [44]

CSSb

Exercise for Health programme; walking, gym, swim, cycle and class-based exercises

Not stated

Not stated

Northern Ireland; N = 210; mean age 54.8 ± 15.7; F106 M104

Day 2001 [50]

CSSc

Exercise for Health programme; consultation & follow up

Varied

8

Scottish borders; N = 324

Graham 2006 [23]

Qualitativeb

GP referred ERS - Consultation, exercise, review.

LC/G

14

North West England; N = 985

Hardcastle 2002 [24], 2001 [55], 2005 [56]

Qualitativeb

ERS - Gym-and class-based activities

LC

10

East Sussex; N = 8; Age 43–77 years; all female

Joyce 2010 [36]

Qualitativec

ERS (some GP referred) - Gym membership on prescription for patients with obesity related conditions

G

12

County Durham; N = 25 in community; GP ERS N = 5; F3 M2; 4/5 were >50 years old

Khanam 2008 [45]

CSSb

GP referred ERS- 3 gym sessions per week (overweight women)

LC

Not stated

East London; N = 25; Age 30–60 mean age 47.3 (SD 9.1); all F; Bangladeshi; Muslim

Lord 1995 [37]

Qualitativec

GP referred ERS −3 sessions per week

LC

10

Stockport; N = 252; Ag 30–55; F198 53 M53 1 Unknown; Socially deprived area; plus 6 referrers, 7 scheme providers

Markland 2010 [46]

CSSb

GP referred ERS [no further description]

Not stated

10

UK (location not stated); N = 136; mean age 54.5; (SD 12.9); range 23–80; all F.

Martin 1999 [25]

Qualitativeb

GP referred ERS

LC/G

10

Margate Kent; N = 77; mean age 53 years; F39 M28

Mills 2008 [26], 2012 [57]

Qualitativeb

Primary care referred ERS including gym-based sessions and swimming

LC

26

Inner London; N = 17; mean age 54.7 (SD 12.4); range 31–68); F13 M4; plus 7 referrers, 4 scheme providers

Morton 2008 [47]

CSSb

ERS (no detail) - Two sessions per week

LC

Ca 10–12

UK (location not stated); N = 30; mean age 51.9 years; F22 M8

Murphy 2010 [27]

Qualitativeb

GP referred ERS with discounted sessions in six centres

LC

16

Wales; N = 32 participants; CHD risk factors

Moore 2013 [58]

Myron 2009 [38]

Qualitativec

GP referred ERS - 2 centres

Varied

Not stated

UK (location not stated); N not stated. Mean age 42, range 20–72; 71 % F.

Rahman 2011 [48]

CSSb

GP referred ERS; free of charge – 2 sessions per week

LC

12

UK (location not stated); N = 653; 18–83 years; F = 68.6 %. M = 31.4 %

Schmidt 2008 [28]

Qualitativeb

GP or health professional referred ERS -Specialist advice and low cost access to facilities

Not stated

20

Amsterdam, Netherlands; N = 523; Low SES and ethnic minority women aged 24–55

Sharma 2012 [29]

Qualitativeb

Health professional referred ERS - 2 supervised gym sessions per week

LC

 

South London; N = 9; 37–61 year; F4 M5; stroke survivors

Shaw 2012 [30]

Qualitativeb

GP referred for pre-exercise screening, health coaching (3 sessions) and community based exercise

Varied

52

Paisley, Scotland; N = 174; mean age 69.9 years; 43 M41; patients with stable coronary heart disease

Singh 1997 [39]

Qualitativec

GP referred supervised ERS – 20 sessions free, 20 half price

LC

Not stated

South East London; N = 13; age range 30–61; F11 M2

Stathi 2004 [31]

Qualitativeb

Supervised ERS – gym and class based activities

LC

Not stated

South West England; N = 13; age range 63–79; F5 M8

Tai 1999 [51]

Longitudinala

GP referred ERS -Tailored programme of 20 sessions

LC

10

Inner London; N = 152; age range 16–75; F108 M44

Taket 2006 [32]

Qualitativeb

GP referred pilot ERS – three exercise consultations plus phone calls – walking, gardening, classes

Not stated

52

Inner London; N = 225; Age 44–65; F 22 M15; Type II diabetics; plus 14 non participants, 32 health professionals

Gauvin 2007 [59]

Taylor 1996 [40]

Qualitativec[within RCT]

GP referred ERS with 20 sessions at half cost – included rowing, cycling, step machine and treadmill sessions.

LC

10

Hailsham, East Sussex; N = 142; age range 40–70 years; patients with CHD risk factors

Taylor 1998 [60]

Walsh 2012 [41]

Qualitativec

Local authority subsidised exercise programme

Not stated

12

UK (location not stated); N = 2101, ≥age 45; chronic joint pain/osteo-arthritis; plus 88 scheme providers

Ward 2007 [42]

Qualitativec

GP referred Welsh Heartlinks programme - ERS, Tai Chi, SlimSwim; motivational interviews

Varied

52

Merthyr Tydfil, Wales; N = 317; 24–88 years; F212 M105; plus 3 referrers

Wiles 2008 [20]

Qualitativea

Physiotherapy referred ERS - 3 schemes

LC

Not stated

South England; N = 9; age range 18–78 years; 1 F 8 M; stroke survivors; plus 15 physios, 6 scheme providers

Wiles 2007 [61]

Wormold 2004 [33]

Qualitativeb

GP referred ERS – 4 schemes

LC

10

North Yorkshire; N = 30; Age range 25–84; 20 F 10 M

Wormold 2006 [34]

Qualitativeb

Active Lifestyles service including ERS

Varied

10–12

Kingston upon Hull; N = 16; Mean age 53; range 15–73; 11 F 5 M; urban deprived;

  1. Where more than one paper relates to a study, the main study paper is highlighted in bold
  2. CSS Cross sectional survey, ELC Exercise and Life Style Centre, ERS Exercise referral scheme, F Female, G Gym, LC Leisure Centre, M Male, SD Standard deviation
  3. Key to quality checklist scores [16]:
  4. aAll or most of the checklist criteria have been fulfilled, and where they have not been fulfilled the conclusions are very unlikely to alter
  5. bSome of the checklist criteria have been fulfilled, and where they have not been fulfilled, or are not adequately described, the conclusions are unlikely to alter
  6. cFew or no checklist criteria have been fulfilled and the conclusions are likely or very likely to alter