Table 1 Characteristics of included studies (n = 20)

Alaranta, 1994 [42]

Controlled Clinical Trial

293

F160 M133

40.4 (4.8) Control

40.5 (4.6) Intervention

PLBP

Home training programme + Inpatient rehabilitation with education

Inpatient rehabilitation 40–50% less strenuous

Finnish Social Security Insurance Institution

Subjective - Leisure time PA (strenuousness)

12 months

Allen, 2016 [43];

Cluster RCT

300 (patients) 30 (providers)

F28 M272

61.6 (9.2)

OA hip/knee

Patients - Physical activity and weight management counselling Healthcare providers received treatment recommendations

Usual care

Medical records veterans affairs

CHAMPS

12 months (12 month intervention)

Becker, 2008 [44];

Cluster RCT

1378 (chronic pain subgroup 332)

F801 M577 (entire group no figures for subgroup)

49.1 (13.3) guideline group

47.4 (13.5) guideline + MC 50.2 (14.3) Control

LBP (mixed)

Practitioner education – guideline implementation

Practitioner education – guideline implementation + MI

Guideline delivered via post

Primary Care GP’s

Freiburg Questionnaire

12 months

Bossen, 2013 [45];

RCT

199

F129 M70

64 (6.6) All

61 (5.9) Intervention

63 (5.4) Control

OA hip/knee

Web based intervention to increase PA using behavioural graded activity

Waiting list

Volunteers from newspapers and websites

PASE and Subgroup ACTi graph

12 months

Brosseau, 2012; [46];

RCT

222

153F 69M

63.9 (103) Walking

63.9 (8.2) Walking + Booklet

62.3 (6.8) Control

OA Knee

Walking group

Walking and behavioural education

Self-directed received educational pamphlet

Unclear

7 day Par (recall)

18 months

Farr, 2010;[47];

RCT

293

F218 M75

55.5 (7.3) Resistance training

55.8 (6.1) Self-Management

54.2 (7.3) Combined

OA Knee

Resistance training + self-management

Self-management

General community mass mailings, media ads and local physicians

ACTi graph 7 days

9 months

Focht, 2014;[48];

RCT (pilot)

80

F67 M13

63.5 (6.86)

OA Knee

Group mediated cognitive behavioural exercise intervention

Traditional centre based exercise

Direct referral State Medical Centre Rheumatologists, ads Arthritis Foundation groups

Accelerometer (PA Lifecorder plus) 7 days

12 months

Hiyama, 2012;[49];

RCT

40

32F 19M

71.9 (5.2) Walking

73.8 (5.7) Control

OA Knee

Instructed to increase number of steps, physical therapy + programme of walking

Physical therapy + advice re walking

Unclear - community dwelling females

Pedometer (steps per day)

4 weeks

Hughes, 2006;[50]

RCT (block randomisation)

215

363F 56M

71.1 (59 -91 yrs)

OA hip/knee

Education, exercise and fitness walking

Arthritis self-help book and information on exercise programmes in community

Senior centres, newsletters, local media, presentations to senior groups

Total minutes exercised

12 months

Hunter, 2012;[51];

RCT (feasibility)

51

167F M79

43.2 (13.5) Exercise

42.4 (11.3) Exercise Auricular Acupuncture

PLBP

Exercise and acupuncture

Exercise

Primary Care GP’s, Physiotherapy waiting list and University population

IPAQ (ActivPal - steps per day)

6 months

Hurley, 2015:[52]:

RCT

246

40F

45.4 (11.4)

PLBP

Walking programme

Exercise class

Usual physiotherapy

Physiotherapy departments

IPAQ

12 months

Krien, 2013;[53];

RCT

229

29F 200M

51.2 (12.5) Walking

51.9 (12.8) Enhanced Usual Care

PLBP

Walking group

Enhanced usual care

Individuals referred for back class and medical record system

Pedometer (steps per day)

12 months

McDonough, 2013; [30];

RCT (feasibility)

56

31F 25M

51 (42 – 60 yrs) Exercise

48 (43 – 55 yrs) Exercise Walking Programme

PLBP

Education and advice and walking group

Usual care

Physiotherapy waiting lists primary care

MGROC PA (ActivPal - steps per day)

6 months

Meng, 2011;[54];

RCT

360

231F 129M

50.2 (7.6) Intervention

49.5 (7.7) Control

PLBP

Biopsychosocial back school programme (inpatient)

Traditional back school (setting unclear)

Orthopaedic hospital - patients had applied for inpatient rehabilitation

Freiburger Questionnaire

12 months

Pisters, 2010 [55]

RCT Cluster

(analysis of secondary outcomes)

200

F154 M46

64.8 (7.9)

OA Hip or Knee

Behavioural graded activity and operant conditioning and exercise therapy

Usual physiotherapy (per clinical guidelines)

Physiotherapists and press releases in local newspapers

PA SQUASH - Converted using METs total hrs. Per week in health enhancing PA

65 weeks (14.9 months)

Schlenk, 2011;[56];

RCT (feasibility)

26

F25 M1

63.2 (9.8)

OA Knee (overweight)

Counselling, exercise, fitness walking programme

Usual care

Rheumatology practices, arthritis disease network registry, self-referral

Diary - Minutes walked per week and other aerobic PA minutes

12 months

Sullivan, 1998;[57];

RCT (follow-up)

102 (52 in this follow-up)

F85 M17 (f44 m8)

70.38 (9.11) Intervention

68.48 (11.32) Control

OA Knee

Supervised fitness walking and supportive education

Standard medical care, weekly interviews about function and daily activity

Community clinics, private clinics - rheumatology

Recall - Average distance walked per week

12 months

Talbot, 2003;[31];

RCT

34

F26 M8

69.59 (6.74) Pedometer

70.76 (4.71) Education

OA Knee

Arthritis self-management programme + walking programme

Arthritis self-management programme

Senior Centres and ads in local papers

Pedometer (steps per day) + Accelerometer

6 months

Trudeau, 2015;[58];

RCT

228 (Subgroup 94)

F72 M156

49.9 (11.6)

Arthritis (all – subgroup data OA spine, large peripheral joints via author)

Web-based painAction programme, informative articles, self-check assessments etc.

Waiting list control

Flyers in surgeries, Pain association members, google adwords, ClinicalTrials.gov. PainEDU.org health professionals

Aerobic exercise minutes (all)

6 months

Williams, 2011 [32]

RCT (feasibility)

119

F76 M43

68.2 (8.1) Intervention

68.6 (8.5) control

OA Hip or Knee

‘New’ Advice booklet – emphasis on addressing exercise related beliefs

Arthritis UK booklet

GP Practices

IPAQ

3 months