BACKGROUND: Educational programs designed for specific populations to improve regular physical activity need to be tested. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program, when compared to usual care, on improving physical activity 5 to 7 months after hospital discharge in adult patients undergoing their first percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS: Randomized controlled trial with two groups: usual care (n = 56) and educational program (n = 53) interventions. Data on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were collected and the Baecke-Habitual Physical Activity Questionnaire, Self-efficacy Scale for Physical Activity, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were administered at baseline and follow-up. Participants in the educational program received an intervention based on Social Cognitive Theory, focused on physical activity, followed by three telephone calls. The usual care group received the hospital routine information. Unadjusted and adjusted differences between the two groups in mean score changes (with 95% confidence intervals (CI)) were calculated for all outcomes. RESULTS: At follow-up, the educational program group showed higher mean +/- standard deviation scores than the usual care group for practice of physical activity (7.94 +/- 1.84 versus 6.90 +/- 1.89) and for self-efficacy (3.98 +/- 3.75 versus 2.52 +/- 3.12). Adjusting for baseline outcome, the difference in mean change between groups was 0.89 (95% CI 0.32 to 1.46) for physical activity and 2.30 (95% CI 1.12 to 3.49) for self-efficacy. There were no statistical differences between groups in symptoms of anxiety and depression. CONCLUSION: The educational program may be an effective intervention in increasing habitual physical activity and self-efficacy for physical activity in individuals with coronary artery disease.

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