Predictors of Physical Activity in Type 2 Diabetic Patients Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior

Low physical activity is the fourth risk factor of death worldwide. Approximately 27% risk of diabetes is reduced by 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. The present study was designed to determine the predictors of physical activity promotion among type 2 diabetic patients.

In this cross sectional study 320 patients with type 2 diabetes were included. The data collection tool was a questionnaire, consisting of three main parts; demographic characteristics, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) theoretical constructs. Statistical software package SPSS (SPSS Inc version 20) used for all statistical analyses. To determine physical activity and predictive factors a series of logistic regression and bivariate correlations and descriptive analysis were computed.

About 57.5% of patients had moderate levels of physical activity. Significant positive correlation between subjective norms and attitudes toward behavior (P-value= .0001) was seen. Significant positive correlations between behavioral intention and attitude toward the behavior (P-value= .0001) and subjective norms (P-value= .0001) was observed.

The results of the present study showed TPB based physical activity and demographic variable have key role in diabetic patient physical activity levels. To promote physical activity these findings can be used to design effective interventions