Abstract
BackgroundGeneral practitioners (GPs) are the major primary healthcare players in the management of type 2 diabetes. In addition to a well-balanced diet, physical activity (PA) appears as a necessary non-medicinal therapy in the management of diabetic patients. However, GPs emphasize several obstacles to its prescription. The aim of this study is to evaluate the practices, barriers, and factors favoring the prescription of PA in type 2 diabetic patients by GPs in French Guiana.MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study using a questionnaire, designed to interview 152 French Guiana GPs and describe their practice in prescribing PA in type 2 diabetic patients.ResultsOur results revealed that the prescription of PA as a non-medicinal therapeutic choice in the management of type 2 diabetes was practiced by 74% of the French Guiana GPs. However, only 37% of GPs responded that they implemented the recommendations; indeed, only one-third knew about them. The majority of GPs were interested in PA training, but only 11% were actually trained in this practice. The lack of structure adapted to the practice of PA and the lack of awareness of the benefits of PA in metabolic pathology appeared as the main obstacles to PA prescription.ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of improving the training of GPs in the prescription of PA, the development of adapted PA structures, and collaboration between the different actors within the framework of the sport-health system in type 2 diabetes in French Guiana.
Highlights
Type 2 diabetes is a major public health problem in the world, and French Guiana, a French territory in South America, is no exception
A total of 152 general practitioner (GP) was contacted (104 private GPs, 23 locum GPs, and 25 GPs employed in delocalized health centers) and 81 responded, of which 8 were excluded for not fulfilling the inclusion criteria
The 73 GPs (42 men and 31 women) were aged 27–73 years with a median of 43 years (43% were under 40 years old; 17% were over 60 years old)
Summary
Type 2 diabetes is a major public health problem in the world, and French Guiana, a French territory in South America, is no exception. The prevalence of pharmacologically treated diabetes mellitus in 2015 in French Guiana was 8%, which is 1.6 times higher than in mainland France (Source SNIRAM-public health 2015). This rate does not take into account diagnosed but untreated diabetic patients and those with no health insurance [1]. Excess weight and obesity are recognized as major risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes, with prevalence curves increasing in parallel with weight. The aim of this study is to evaluate the practices, barriers, and factors favoring the prescription of PA in type 2 diabetic patients by GPs in French Guiana
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