Table 1.

Study characteristics and risk of bias ratings in the included studies

Study location	Design overall risk of bias✝	Participants longest follow-up	Intervention and duration	Comparison	Physical activity outcomes	Measured by
Isaacs 2007 [17] England	RCT Unclear3,4,5,7	943 adults 40–74 years 3 months	Supervised PA in groups	Advice	Minutes of PA/week	Questionnaire on 7-day leisure time activities, walking, occupational activity and work in the home [48]
					Energy expenditure, kcal/kg/week
			1) strength, fitness
			2) walks led by instructor
			Duration: 10 weeks
Park 2011 [18] South Korea	RCT Unclear1,2,3,4,5	45 older adults ≥ 65 years Post-treatment	Supervised PA in groups	No treatment	MET-adjusted minutes of PA/week	International Physical Activity Questionnaire [49]
			Duration: 12 weeks
Elley 2003 [19] New Zealand	Cluster-RCT Unclear2,3,4	878 adults 40–79 years 9 months	Referral to local resources w/follow-up	Advice	Energy expenditure, kcal/kg/week	Auckland Heart Study Physical Activity Questionnaire [50]
			Duration: 12 weeks
Fortier 2011 [20] Canada	RCT Low3	120 adults 18–69 years 3 months	Referral to local resources w/follow-up	Advice	Minutes of moderate PA/day	Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire [51]; accelerometer [52]
					PA score
			Duration: 12 weeks
Harrison 2004 [21] England	RCT Low4	545 adults ≥ 18 years 9 months	Referral to local resources w/follow-up	Advice	Number of participants who met PA goal (90 min/week)	Adapted 7-Day Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire [53]
			Duration: 12 weeks
Stevens 1998 [22] England	RCT Unclear2,3,4,5,7	714 adults 45–74 years 4 months	Referral to local resources w/follow-up	Advice	Level of PA last 4 weeks	Adapted 7-Day Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire [53]
			Duration: 10 weeks
Armit 2009 [23] Australia	RCT Low2,4	136 adults 50–70 years 3 months	1) Referral to local resources w/follow-up	Advice	Number of participants who met PA goal (150 min/week)	Active Australia Physical Activity Questionnaire [54]
			2) Self-organised PA w/follow-up
			Duration: 12 weeks
Taylor 1998 [24] England	RCT Unclear2,3,4,5	142 adults 40–70 years 6 months	Referral to local resources w/follow-up	No treatment	Minutes of PA/week	7-Day Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire [53]
					Energy expenditure, kcal/kg/day
			Duration: 10 weeks
Bjørk Petersen 2012 [25] Denmark	RCT Unclear1,3,4	655 adults ≥ 18 years Post-treatment	Self-organised PA w/follow-up	Advice	Minutes of PA/week	International Physical Activity Questionnaire [49]; ergometer [55,56]
					Increased level of PA
			Duration: 12 weeks
					Aerobic capacity
Harland 1999 [26] England	RCT Low2,3	209 adults 40–64 years§ 9 months	Self-organised PA w/follow-up	Advice	PA score	National Fitness Survey Questionnaire [57]
					- level of PA
			Duration: 12 weeks
					- occasions with PA
Baker 2008 [27] Scotland	RCT Unclear1,3	79 adults 18–65 years Post-treatment	Self-organised PA w/follow-up	No treatment	Number of steps/day	Pedometer [58]
			Duration: 12 weeks
Green 2002 [28] USA	RCT Low3	316 adults 18–65 years 3 months	Self-organised PA w/follow-up	No treatment	PA score	Physician Assessment and Counselling for Exercise [59]
			Duration: 12 weeks
Kirkwood 2007 [29] Scotland	RCT High1,2,3,4,5	34 adult women 30–50 years Post-treatment	Self-organised PA w/follow-up	No treatment	Energy expenditure, kcal/kg/day	Accelerometer [60]
			Duration: 12 weeks
Kolt 2007 [30] New Zealand	RCT Unclear2,3,4,5	186 older adults ≥ 65 years 9 months	Self-organised PA w/follow-up	No treatment	Minutes of PA/week	Auckland Heart Study Physical Activity Questionnaire [50]
			Duration: 12 weeks

Legend: PA = physical activity; ^✝domains where risk of bias was rated as low, unclear or high at study level: ¹sequence generation, ²allocation concealment, ³blinding of participants and personnel, ⁴blinding of outcome assessment, ⁵incomplete outcome data, ⁶selective outcome reporting, ⁷other potential threats to validity; ^§data for Group 3 used.