ArticleBMC medical education2022
Predictors of physical activity promotion in clinical practice: a cross-sectional study among medical doctors.
Article in BMC medical education, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Barriers and Facilitators to the Delivery of Physical Activity Promotion by Healthcare Professionals for Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review Using the Theoretical Domains Framework.Journal of diabetes research · 2026Pooled it
- Implementation determinants of physical activity interventions in primary health care settings using the TICD framework: a systematic review.BMC health services research · 2023Pooled it
- Physical Therapists' Use of Behavior Change Strategies to Promote Physical Activity for Individuals with Neurological Conditions.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Barriers and promoters of physical activity among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus presenting in family medicine clinics.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2025Article
- Self-care practices of professionals on residency programs in the state of Paraíba in Brazil and their implications for primary health care.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- Counseling and Prescription of Physical Exercise in Medical Consultations in Portugal: The Clinician's Perspective.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Qualitative insights from an online community-based exercise intervention for persons living with HIV.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2025Article
- Medical conduct and knowledge about physical activity counseling in the largest hospital complex in Latin America.Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2025Observational
- Review
- Movement behaviour education for parents in prenatal, postnatal, and pediatric care in Canada: A needs assessment.BMC pediatrics · 2024Article
- Curricular and pedagogical approaches for physical activity prescription training: a mixed-methods study of the "Exercise is Medicine" workshops in Colombia.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- Path of Physical Exercise's Impact on Deviant Behavior Among Chinese Adolescents.Psychology research and behavior management · 2024Article
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPhysical activity is a major determinant of physical and mental health. International recommendations identify health professionals as pivotal agents to tackle physical inactivity. This study sought to characterize medical doctors' clinical practices concerning the promotion of patients' physical activity, while also exploring potential predictors of the frequency and content of these practices, including doctors' physical activity level and sedentary behaviours.
methodsA cross-sectional study assessed physical activity promotion in clinical practice with a self-report questionnaire delivered through the national medical prescription software (naturalistic survey). Physical activity and sedentary behaviours were estimated using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form). Indicators of medical doctors' attitudes, knowledge, confidence, barriers, and previous training concerning physical activity promotion targeting their patients were also assessed. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of physical activity promotion frequency by medical doctors, including sociodemographic, attitudes and knowledge-related variables, and physical activity behaviours as independent variables.
resultsA total of 961 medical doctors working in the Portuguese National Health System participated (59% women, mean age 44 ± 13 years) in the study. The majority of the participants (84.6%) reported to frequently promote patients' physical activity. Five predictors of physical activity promotion frequency emerged from the multiple regression analysis, explaining 17.4% of the dependent variable (p < 0.001): working in primary healthcare settings (p = 0.037), having a medical specialty (p = 0.030), attributing a high degree of relevance to patients' physical activity promotion in healthcare settings (p < 0.001), being approached by patients to address physical activity (p < 0.001), and having higher levels of physical activity (p = 0.001).
conclusionsThe sample of medical doctors approached reported a high level of engagement with physical activity promotion. Physical activity promotion frequency seems to be influenced by the clinical practice setting, medical career position and specialty, attitudes towards physical activity, and perception of patients´ interest on the topic, as well as medical doctors' own physical activity levels.
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