Barriers for physical activity in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: The current status of deficiency of physical activity (PA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) in China is grim. Most studies are limited to quantitative research. The awareness among patients about their views on PA and the barriers to it are less. METHODS: In this study, the maximum variation sampling strategy was used for purposive sampling. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to select the T2DM with PA deficiency from the Department of Endocrinology of the Tertiary General Hospital in Jiangsu province. Through face-to-face semi-structured interviews in the ward, the transcribed texts were analyzed and arranged according to the traditional content analysis method. categories and subcategories were classified by open coding and classification. RESULTS: A total of 16, T2DM patients with PA deficiency were included in the study. Four categories were classified as follows: low self-efficacy, insufficient social support, force majeure, and social and cultural beliefs. Among the interviewees In these groups, PA were generally ignored, and diet and drugs were considered to be more important. The PA of these patients were also greatly influenced by the external environment. Additionally, the patients paid greater attention to the feelings of their families concerning their daily activities. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first qualitative study on the barriers' factors for T2DM patients with PA deficiency in China. During the intervention, the family as a whole should be included. Based on changing their attitude towards PA, the necessary social support system must be improved.