Characteristics of participants utilising a telephone-based coaching service for chronic disease health risk behaviours: A retrospective examination comparing those with and without a mental health condition

•People with mental health conditions engage with health coaching phone services.•The prevalence and extent of some health risk behaviours is higher in this group.•Confidence in ability to change health risk behaviours is lower in this group. The NSW Get Healthy Service® (GHS) is a free telephone-based coaching service in NSW, Australia, which supports behaviour change around healthy eating and physical activity. The aims of this study were to 1) assess the proportion of coaching participants within GHS who report having had a mental health condition, and 2) describe and compare the health risk profiles and confidence for behaviour change of coaching participants with and without a mental health condition. Secondary data analysis was conducted on information collected via participant self-report as a part of the coaching process for 11,925 participants who enrolled in a GHS coaching program for the first time between January 2015 and December 2017. Twenty six percent (n = 3106) of participants reported having had a significant mental health condition that required treatment from a health professional. Participants who reported a mental health condition were significantly less likely (54%) to be meeting guidelines for physical activity than participants without a mental health condition (64%); more likely to be overweight/obese (89%) compared to those without (81%); and reported lower confidence for changing exercise, nutrition and weight. There were no significant differences in proportions meeting fruit or vegetable intake recommendations. People with a mental health condition represent approximately a quarter of GHS participants. This group of participants presented higher levels of health risks and expressed lower confidence in behaviour change than program participants without such a condition. Future service planning and development may consider this variation in participant profiles.