ArticleBMJ open2023
Qualitative study of practices and attitudes towards physical activity among prediabetic men and women in urban and rural Malawi.
Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- Barriers and facilitators to the adoption of healthy lifestyles for cardiovascular disease prevention in Sub-Saharan Africa: a mixed method systematic review of evidence.Systematic reviews · 2026Pooled it
- Facilitators, barriers, and interventions for exercise adherence in patients with prediabetes: a mixed-methods systematic review.Therapeutic advances in endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Review
- Prevalence of prediabetes and associated risk factors among peri-urban dwelling adults in Blantyre, Malawi.Malawi medical journal : the journal of Medical Association of Malawi · 2025Article
- Correlates of Exercise Behavior Based on Socio-Ecological Theoretical Model among Chinese Urban Adults: An Empirical Study.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesGiven the decline in physical activity levels in Malawi, like other sub-Saharan African countries, and its implication for non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention, this study aimed to compare and contrast accounts of practices and attitudes towards physical activity among Malawian men and women (previously identified as having pre-diabetes) in urban and rural settings.
settingTwo communities: one urban (Lilongwe) and one rural (Karonga).
participants14 men (urban N=6, rural N=8) and 18 women (urban N=9, rural N=9) classified as prediabetic during their participation in an NCD survey 3-5 years previously.
designA qualitative focus group study (N=4) and thematic analysis, with the ecological model used as a framework to characterise the types of physical activity people engaged in and potential ways to support them to exercise more.
resultsParticipants reported undertaking different types of physical activity across all ecological model domains (household, occupational, transport, recreational). Rural participants reported more vigorous physical activities than urban participants, and women reported more household activities than men. Many participants recognised a need to promote physical activity in Malawi, and the health benefits of doing so, including the importance of physical activity in helping them stay strong to maintain physical functioning. Barriers to physical activity included competing priorities (especially urban men), societal expectations around wealth, use of motorised transport, lack of accessible facilities for women, ageing and ill health.
conclusionsPhysical activity is declining in Malawi as working and transport practices change in response to economic development, making promotion of alternative forms of physical activity a public health priority. Multilevel interventions emphasising the personal benefits/value of physical activity for all ages, and routine and group-based exercising, as well as investment in accessible recreational facilities (including for women) and active travel infrastructure should be considered to improve physical activity levels in Malawi.
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