Patients want their doctors’ help to increase physical activity: a cross sectional study in general practice

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of 2104 adult patients visiting their GP, in western Norway, 2019.

	Total n	%	(n)
Gender	n = 2099
Female		61.3	(1286)
Male		38.7	(813)
Age	n = 2104
18–32 years		21.2	(447)
33–47 years		27.8	(584)
48–62 years		24.5	(515)
63–100 years		26.5	(558)
Self-rated health	n = 2033
Poor (poor and fairly poor)		24.9	(506)
Good		34.8	(707)
Excellent (very good and excellent)		40.3	(820)
Imagine an average week: how often are you physically active for at least 30 min a day, so you get sweaty / breathless?	n = 2058
< 5 times/week		80.6	(1659)
≥ 5 times/week		19.4	(399)
Would you like to become more physically active?	n = 2035
Yes		80.2	(1633)
No		19.8	(402)
I want help from the GP to increase my physical activity level	n = 2015
Disagree		55.9	(1126)
Agree		44.1	(889)
I want the GP to focus more on physical activity	n = 2015
Disagree		38.7	(780)
Agree		61.3	(1235)
I would choose increased physical activity over medicine if possible	n = 2029
Disagree		6.3	(128)
Agree		93.7	(1901)

Table 2. Physical activity group and attitude towards change among the patients visiting their GP according to their gender, age and SRH.

	Inactive^a	Potentially active^b	Potentially active wanting help^c	I want help from the GP to increase my physical activity level	I want the GP to focus more on physical activity	I would choose increased physical activity over medication if possible
Gender	p < 0.01	p = 0.04	p < 0.01	p < 0.01	p < 0.01	p = 0.53
% of female (n)	83.2 (1044)	87.1 (883)	45.2 (387)	40.1 (490)	58.9 (721)	93.5 (1157)
% of male (n)	76.5 (611)	83.4 (501)	59.9 (297)	50.4 (397)	64.9 (510)	94.2 (741)
Age	p < 0.01	p < 0.01	p < 0.01	p < 0.01	p = 0.29	p = 0.16
% of 18–32 years (n)	76.4 (339)	92.0 (310)	41.2 (127)	36.5 (162)	58.2 (258)	94.8 (419)
% of 33–47 years (n)	85.1 (492)	92.0 (447)	46.0 (202)	40.9 (234)	63.2 (361)	93.5 (534)
% of 48–62 years (n)	78.5 (399)	86.2 (338)	53.9 (178)	45.7 (229)	59.9 (299)	94.9 (479)
% of 63–100 years (n)	81.3 (429)	72.5 (292)	63.8 (178)	53.0 (264)	63.1 (317)	91.8 (469)
Self-rated health	p < 0.01	p = 0.11	p < 0.01	p < 0.01	p = 0.27	p < 0.01
% of poor (n)	83.1 (413)	87.0 (348)	63.8 (215)	57.1 (273)	62.8 (302)	90.5 (436)
% of good (n)	86.4 (597)	87.3 (510)	53.0 (267)	47.5 (324)	62.4 (424)	93.4 (641)
% of excellent (n)	74.5 (602)	83.4 (492)	37.6 (180)	32.7 (260)	58.9 (467)	96.1 (767)

Analysed with cross table analyses and Chi² significance tests.

^a Patients visiting their GP who are physically inactive; less than 5 times a week with at least 30 min a day so you perspire and are out of breath.

^b Patients visiting their GP who are physically inactive; less than 5 times a week with at least 30 min a day so you perspire and are out of breath, who want to increase their level of physical activity.

^c Patients visiting their GP who are physically inactive; less than 5 times a week with at least 30 min a day so you perspire and are out of breath, who want to increase their level of physical activity and want help from the GP to achieve this goal.

Table 3. Unadjusted and full model binary logistic regression analysis for the relationship between inactivity^a and the predicting variables.

	Unadjusted		Full model^b
	OR	95% CI	OR	95% CI
Gender
Female	1.52	1.22;1.90	1.58	1.25;1.99
Male	1		1
Age
18–32 years	0.75	0.55;1.02	0.78	0.56;1.08
33–47 years	1.32	0.96;1.81	1.33	0.95;1.85
48–62 years	0.85	0.62;1.15	0.83	0.61;1.15
63–100 years	1		1
Self-rated health
Poor	1.68	1.27;2.23	1.68	1.25;2.24
Good	2.17	1.66;2.84	2.20	1.67;2.89
Excellent	1		1

^a Patients visiting their GP who are physically inactive; less than 5 times a week with at least 30 min a day so you perspire and are out of breath.

^b Adjusting for the inter-relation between gender, age, and SRH.

Table 4. Unadjusted and full model binary logistic regression analysis for the relationship between potentially active^a and the predicting variables.

	Unadjusted		Full model^b
	OR	95% CI	OR	95% CI
Gender
Female	1.35	1.01;1.78	1.06	0.78;1.43
Male	1		1
Age
18–32 years	4.37	2.78;6.84	5.20	3.23;8.37
33–47 years	4.36	2.94;6.46	4.87	3.23;7.34
48–62 years	2.38	1.66;3.41	2.52	1.74;3.66
63–100 years	1		1
Self-rated health
Poor	1.33	0.93;1.92	1.80	1.23;2.64
Good	1.37	0.99;1.90	1.75	1.24;2.47
Excellent	1		1

^a Patients visiting their GP who are physically inactive; less than 5 times a week with at least 30 min a day so you perspire and are out of breath, who want to increase their level of physical activity.

^b Adjusting for the inter-relation between gender, age, and SRH.

Table 5. Unadjusted and full model binary logistic regression analysis for the relationship between potentially active who want help from the GP to increase their level of PA^a and the predicting variables.

	Unadjusted		Full model^b
	OR	95% CI	OR	95% CI
Gender
Female	0.55	0.44;0.69	0.59	0.47;0.75
Male	1		1
Age
18–32 years	0.40	0.29;0.56	0.57	0.40;0.82
33–47 years	0.48	0.36;0.66	0.61	0.44;0.84
48–62 years	0.66	0.48;0.92	0.75	0.54;1.06
63–100 years	1		1
Self-rated health
Poor	2.93	2.19;3.91	2.68	1.99;3.61
Good	1.87	1.45;2.41	1.73	1.33;2.25
Excellent	1		1

^a Patients visiting their GP who are physically inactive; less than 5 times a week with at least 30 min a day so you perspire and are out of breath, who want to increase their level of physical activity, and want help from the GP to achieve this goal.

^b Adjusting for the inter-relation between gender, age, and SRH.