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Promotion of physical activity in primary care: knowledge and practice of general practitioners and physiotherapists

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Abstract

Aim

Being physically active has many proven health benefits and promoting physical activity to patients in primary care is an important component of public health programmes. This study examined the knowledge and practices of general practitioners and physiotherapists in the promotion of physical activity in primary care.

Subject and methods

A cross-sectional population survey was conducted in Ireland to establish participants’ knowledge of physical activity guidelines and current practice in the promotion of physical activity. A total of 342 general practitioners (response rate 65 %; n = 543) and 89 physiotherapists (response rate 88 %; n = 101) responded to the survey.

Results

More physiotherapists (50.5 %; n = 45) than general practitioners (28 %; n = 97) correctly reported the minimal physical activity guidelines (X² = 16.56, p < .005, df = 1). General practitioners reported screening physical activity opportunistically (41 %; n = 139) and when related to a patient’s presenting complaint (37 %; n = 126). Physiotherapists reported screening physical activity routinely (34 %; n = 30) and when related to the presenting complaint (28 %; n = 25). With the exception of overweight patients, general practitioners were more likely than physiotherapists to promote physical activity to patients with known cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension (X² = 49.65, p < .001, df = 2) and hypercholesterolemia (X² = 32.58, p < .001, df = 2). Physiotherapists, however, were more likely to promote physical activity to healthy populations (X² = 9.91; p < .01, df = 2). Education and advice was the intervention most frequently used (general practitioners 76 %; n = 258, physiotherapists 97 %; n = 86).

Conclusion

Despite high levels of awareness of physical activity promotion amongst general practitioners and physiotherapists, there is scope to improve physical activity promotion particularly to healthy populations and ongoing challenges to incorporate evidence based interventions into routine care.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the GPs and PTs who participated in this study.

Funding

None.

Conflicts of interests

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St James’s Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland

    Emer M. Barrett & Juliette Hussey

  2. Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24, Ireland

    Catherine D. Darker

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  1. Emer M. Barrett
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  2. Catherine D. Darker
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  3. Juliette Hussey
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Correspondence to Emer M. Barrett.

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Barrett, E.M., Darker, C.D. & Hussey, J. Promotion of physical activity in primary care: knowledge and practice of general practitioners and physiotherapists. J Public Health 21, 63–69 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-012-0512-0

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