MeasureIt!

Measure It!

A very brief intervention for physical activity behaviour change in cardiac rehabilitation

Low levels of physical activity are associated with an increased risk of repeat cardiac events in people with coronary heart disease, Australia’s biggest killer. Increasing physical activity levels following a cardiac event, regardless of previous activity levels, has been shown to significantly reduce a person’s risk of dying. While physical activity has an important role to play in addressing premature mortality in people with heart disease, there is a significant gap between recommended and actual physical activity levels in this cohort.

Preliminary work by the research team, led by Associate Professor Nicole Freene, found that regular physical activity measurement by health professionals alone can drive physical activity adherence in insufficiently active adults. Awarded funding under the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Cardiovascular Health Mission Scheme, The ‘Measure It!’ trial aimed to examine the effectiveness and implementation of a very brief (less than five minute) physical activity intervention in real world cardiac rehabilitation programs (1). The intervention included a self-report and objective measure of physical activity (wearable activity tracker steps) plus physical activity advice. The trial also evaluated the implementation of the intervention into clinical practice.

Results

The ‘Measure It!’ trial concluded in 2025, with findings from the project shared with clinicians via a webinar hosted by the Australian Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Association. 190 participants were recruited from five cardiac rehabilitation programs in NSW and the ACT.

Results of the study indicated that the five-minute ‘Measure It!’ intervention, delivered on five occasions over 6-months, increased participants daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and steps, although findings were not statistically significant. The mean difference in step change was 447 steps per day which may be clinically significant, given that small increases in MVPA and steps may prevent early death (2, 3). In addition, the ‘Measure It!’ intervention was generally perceived as a feasible and acceptable physical activity intervention, and appropriate for use in cardiac rehabilitation, with findings supporting adoption of the intervention into clinical practice.

While larger scale trials are needed, the ‘Measure It!’ intervention, could offer a time-efficient, effective and scalable approach to improve physical activity levels in people with heart disease.

References

1. Freene N, McPhail SM, Tyack Z, Kunstler B, Niyonsenga T, Keegan R, et al. Very brief intervention for physical activity behaviour change in cardiac rehabilitation: protocol for the ‘Measure It!’ effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial. BMJ Open. 2023;13(11):e072630.
2. Banach M, Lewek J, Surma S, Penson PE, Sahebkar A, Martin SS, et al. The association between daily step count and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a meta-analysis. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 2023.
3. Ekelund U, Tarp J, Ding D, Sanchez-Lastra MA, Dalene KE, Anderssen SA, et al. Deaths potentially averted by small changes in physical activity and sedentary time: an individual participant data meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. The Lancet. 2026;407(10526):339-49.

The Team

• Assoc Prof Nicole Freene, University of Canberra
• Jessica Seymour, University of Canberra
• Prof Rachel Davey, University of Canberra
• Prof Steven McPhail, Queensland University of Technology
• Prof Robyn Gallagher, University of Sydney
• Dr Breanne Kunstler, Monash University
• Dr Zephanie Tyack, Queensland University of Technology
• Prof Walter Abhayaratna, Australian National University
• Assoc Prof Richard Keegan, University of Canberra
• Assoc Prof Theophile Niyonsenga, University of Canberra
• Dr Christian Verdicchio, University of Sydney

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