How patients with diabetes experience physical activity promotion during nursing consultations in the Spanish context

Although physical activity (PA) is a key behaviour for controlling Type 2 Diabetes, problematic adoption and/or adherence continues to impair disease management. This study aims to understand how patients with T2D live and experience nurses PA promotion during consultations in Spanish context.

The present study is a qualitative research. In 2019-2020, pre-COVID-19, Twenty-two people living with T2D from Barcelona province contributed either to focus groups (n = 5) or to semi-structured interviews (n = 4). All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using conventional content analysis approach through constant comparative method.

Data analysis revealed two major themes with sixteen subthemes. The two major themes include: "Intra-personal conscious PA adoption processes" and "Structural unconscious PA (non)adherence processes".

Patients' experiences reflect two concurrent and interconnected issues. First, most patients readily adopted new PA after encouragement from nurses, who were the main proponents of PA. Indeed, adoption seemed to be most nurses' PA priority and it was effective for most patients. Second, few nurses discussed adherence, making it an almost universal problem and source of disappointment. For adherence, patients experience that nurses' attention needs to focus on activating processes and skills that support continued involvement in already-adopted PA.