Healthier lifestyles, relating to physical activity and diet, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, making and sustaining lifestyle changes is difficult. More information is needed about effective ways to help people begin to change their lifestyle behaviours. The investigators propose to test the feasibility of using a 'tool' in guiding discussions between people and health professionals about physical activity and diet, and support people in making decisions about why and how they might begin to fit more exercise and healthy food into their daily routines. The 'tool' consists of questions to help people think about their personal circumstances and their motivation, opportunities, capabilities and priorities, and includes information about heart disease and stroke.~The investigators will explore the use of this tool in general practice, assessing patients' physical activity and diet behaviour after 1 and 3 months. Patients' and healthcare professionals' views of its use and how it influenced decisions will help to improve the tool's design. Participants' opinions regarding its format and method of delivery will inform future plans for its use and the design of a study of its effectiveness in helping people to begin to change their behaviour and achieve healthy lifestyles, hoping to lead to improved quality of life for people with heart disease and stroke.
More information is needed about effective ways to help people begin to change their lifestyle behaviours, particularly physical activity and diet. The investigators propose to test a 'tool' that can be used to guide discussions between people and health professionals about their physical activity and diet habits, so that people may be supported better in making decisions about why and how they might begin to fit more exercise and healthy food into their daily routines and make long-term changes. The investigators will explore the feasibility of using this tool in general practice, reviewing behaviours after 1 and 3 months. Patients' and healthcare professionals' views of its use and how it influenced decisions will inform development of the tool's design and a study of its effectiveness in helping people to begin to change their behaviour and achieve healthy lifestyles.