Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity in People With Young-Onset (Aged 18-40 Years) Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study.
Xiaoyan Zhao, Maria Duaso, Haya Abu Ghazaleh and 2 others
PMID 39963930WHAT IT FOUND
Young adults with diabetes said a lack of time, cost, stigma, poor facilities, low skills and difficult emotions blocked activity.
They also said family, peers, reminders, trackers and group exercise helped. Tailored, affordable, social plans may fit their lives.
Key findings
01Most participants said lack of time from work and family duties blocked physical activity.
02Stigma from colleagues or managers discouraged some participants from exercising.
03Participants said exercising with others, support, reminders and trackers helped them engage in activity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study was qualitative, so it reports what participants said and did not test whether any strategy increased physical activity. Participants were mostly urban and well-educated, which the authors say is associated with higher physical activity, so findings may not transfer to rural or less-educated groups. Physical activity intensity was not objectively measured; participants described it vaguely, so the study cannot link specific exercise types or doses to experiences. Recruitment was through online WeChat diabetes groups with purposive sampling, so the sample may not represent all young adults with diabetes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that tailored exercise programmes increase physical activity. This was a qualitative study of 23 mostly urban, well-educated participants, so it describes perceptions, not tested effects.