Open AccessDo South African general practitioners believe that ‘Exercise is Medicine’?
Author(s) -
Estelle D. Watson,
T Khan,
CM Crear
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
south african journal of sports medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2078-516X
pISSN - 1015-5163
DOI - 10.17159/2078-516x/2013/v25i1a387
Subject(s) - promotion (chess) , global positioning system , primary care , medicine , family medicine , health promotion , perception , population , health care , alternative medicine , medical education , nursing , environmental health , public health , psychology , political science , telecommunications , pathology , neuroscience , politics , computer science , law
Background. Physical activity (PA) has been described as medicine, owing to the clear evidence for its role in the prevention and management of various diseases.Objectives. To determine the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of South African general practitioners (GPs) towards the promotionof PA.Methods. A total of 255 private-sector GPs from various provinces in SA participated in our cross-sectional study, by completing a selfreportquestionnaire surveying their knowledge, perceptions and attitudes towards the promotion of PA.Results. The findings indicated that South African GPs in general do promote PA to their patients for treatment and health promotion. Themajority of GPs in our study strongly believed that promoting PA is an important part of primary healthcare. The GPs frequently promotedexercise in the treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidaemia.Conclusion. South African GPs appear to be recommending PA to their patients at a primary-care level. Clear practice guidelines are needed to promote PA in a way that will have a population-level impact. To aid this, GPs are encouraged to provide written information to promote PA in a way that will have an effect.