GPs' perspectives regarding their sedentary behaviour and physical activity: a qualitative interview study.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Public Health
• General Practice Research

Background:

• General practitioners (GPs) engage in prolonged sedentary behavior, exceeding 10.5 hours daily.
• This sedentary lifestyle poses health risks to GPs and impacts their ability to advise patients on physical activity (PA).
• Limited research exists on GPs' perspectives regarding their own sedentary behavior and PA levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate general practitioners' viewpoints on their sedentary behavior and physical activity.
• To identify barriers and enablers influencing GPs' adoption of increased physical activity.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 13 general practitioners in Northern Ireland.
• Participants were purposively sampled from a previous objective measurement study of sedentary behavior and PA.
• Deductive thematic analysis of interview transcripts, utilizing the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

Main Results:

• Key themes emerged across six TDF domains: environmental context, social/professional role, goals, social influences, knowledge, and intentions.
• Sub-themes within each domain detailed specific barriers and facilitators to increased PA.
• GPs expressed dissatisfaction with their current sedentary behavior and PA levels, citing health concerns.

Conclusions:

• General practitioners acknowledge and are concerned about the health implications of their sedentary behavior and insufficient PA.
• Significant barriers, including work environment and personal/professional duties, hinder GPs' ability to increase PA.
• Interventions addressing identified barriers could enhance GP well-being and their capacity for patient counseling on sedentary behavior and PA.