Identifying Primary Healthcare Providers’ Barriers to Prescribing Physical Activity as Medicine in Comparison to their own Physical Activity Level

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Alexandra Sneed (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: Abstract Objective. To examine healthcare providers' barriers to counseling physical activity to their patients. Then examine the same primary providers' own physical activity level over the course of 7 days (1 week) using a pedometer. Methods. The study consisted of 30 healthcare providers aged 26-70 years. At baseline, demographic information along with health history and the English short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was completed. After the initial visit, participants were asked to wear a pedometer for 7 days, recording activity in minutes and total steps per day on a pedometer wear log. Pedometer data was collected to determine if physicians, physicians' assistants, and nurse practitioner personal physical activity level affected their prescription or counseling characteristics. These three groups of healthcare providers were selected because they all have the ability to directly prescribe medication to patients, if they chose to do so. Post pedometer, participants completed a barriers questionnaire to assess the perceived barriers related to physical activity counseling with patients. Results. In references to the barriers questionnaire questions, 33.3% of participants felt that lack of time during office visit was "somewhat" the reason for lack of prescription/counseling and 33.3% felt that lack of time during office visit was "very much" the reason. Although lack of time during office visits had the most variety in responses, this was the most prevalence barrier amongst participants. Thirty percent of participants knowledgeable about what to recommend and only 3% felt "very much." Unsure about what to recommend related to physical activity with patients. The associations between physical activity (i.e., average activity in minutes per day and total MET-minutes per week) and barriers pertaining to physical activity counseling and prescribing (e.g., lack of time, lack of knowledge, etc.) were assessed using a Pearson's correlation. There was no statistically significant relationship between total amount of barriers and activity level. Physical activity was assessed using the IPAQ Short version total score to determine total MET-min/week and pedometer data was used to assess average activity in min/wk. The Pearson correlation determined that there is negative correlation between physical activity level and total barriers (r= -0.1813, r= -0.032 respectively) for average activity in minutes per day and total MET-minutes per week. In references to the barriers questionnaire questions, 33.3% of participants felt lack of time during office visit was "somewhat" the reason for lack of prescription/counseling and 33.3% felt that lack of time during office visit was "very much" the reason. Thirty percent of participants felt "not at all" in terms of unsure what to recommend and only 3% felt that "very much." Discussion. The purpose of this study was to assessing the relationship between physical activity (i.e., average minutes per day and total MET-minutes per week) and barriers pertaining to physical activity counseling and prescription (e.g., lack of time, lack of knowledge) using Pearson's correlation was to determine if physicians, physicians' assistants, and nurse practitioner personal physical activity level affected their prescription or counseling characteristics. The results indicated that there was no relationship between health care providers' physical activity level and perceived barriers to discuss physical activity among patients. With no correlation, this strikes an interesting conclusion that even healthcare providers that are physically active are struggling to prescribe or counsel patients on physical activity.

Additional Information

Publication

Thesis

Language: English

Date: 2023

Subjects

healthcare providers';barriers;physical activity

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