Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background Life expectancy continues to increase in France, along with the number of older adults at risk of frailty and loss of independence. Promoting adapted physical activity (APA) and managing malnutrition are major public health priorities. General practitioners (GPs) play a central role in prevention, yet insufficient training remains a major barrier. This study aimed to assess the impact of a brief training intervention on GPs’ knowledge and practices in these two areas. Methods This randomized study included final-year GP residents and practicing GPs in the Pays de la Loire region (France) in 2025. Participants were randomly assigned to either an APA training group or a malnutrition training group. Knowledge and self-reported practices were assessed using an online questionnaire before and one month after the intervention. The training consisted of a 15-minute video and a summary leaflet. Linear mixed models were used to analyze the time × group interaction. Results Thirty GPs completed the study (16 malnutrition group; 14 APA group). APA training was associated with a significant increase in APA prescriptions compared with the malnutrition group (p = 0.03), as well as improved knowledge of local APA structures (p = 0.02). Malnutrition training did not significantly affect oral nutritional supplement prescriptions but significantly increased dietary enrichment prescriptions compared with the APA group (p = 0.02). Conclusions A brief, targeted training intervention on APA or malnutrition significantly improved GPs’ knowledge and positively influenced selected prescribing practices. Integrating such training into continuing medical education may have meaningful public health implications. TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial was registered retrospectively on ClinicalTrials.gov on August 2026 (Registration ID: NCT07794657)