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. 2022 Sep-Oct;140(5):658-667.
doi: 10.1590/1516-3180.2021.0757.R1.20122021.

Barriers to physical activity among adults in primary healthcare units in the National Health System: a cross-sectional study in Brazil

Ana Luísa Kuehn de Souza  1 , Letícia Pechnicki Dos Santos  2 , Cassiano Ricardo Rech  3 , Ciro Romelio Rodriguez-Añez  4 , Claudia Alberico  5 , Lucélia Justino Borges  6 , Rogério César Fermino  4
Affiliations

Barriers to physical activity among adults in primary healthcare units in the National Health System: a cross-sectional study in Brazil

Ana Luísa Kuehn de Souza et al. Sao Paulo Med J. 2022 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Background: Many factors may negatively impact physical activity (PA), but studies lack evidence of individual predictors of perceived barriers to PA among adults in primary healthcare units.

Objective: To analyze associations between sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), PA counseling and perceived barriers to LTPA among adult patients in primary healthcare units of the National Health System in Brazil.

Design and setting: Cross-sectional study on a representative sample of adults in primary healthcare units in São José dos Pinhais, Paraná, Brazil.

Methods: This study was conducted in 2019, among 779 adults (70% women). Barriers to LTPA, sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, marital status, skin color, education and income), health conditions (body mass index, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, coronary disease and medications), LTPA level and PA counseling received were measured using validated, standardized procedures. The data were analyzed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: The most prevalent barriers were "feeling too tired" (53%) and "lack of time" (52%). PA counseling was inversely associated with "lack of time" (45% versus 57%; P < 0.001) but positively associated with "injury or disease" (38% versus 29%; P = 0.008). There was an inverse linear trend between the number of barriers and LTPA (walking and total) (P < 0.001). Most barriers differed in comparisons of sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, LTPA and counseling (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: The barriers vary according to the individual predictors. Counseling strategies need to be specific for each barrier and may be promising for promoting LTPA within primary healthcare.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interests: The authors declare that they did not have any conflict of interest

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Barriers to leisure-time physical activity reported by adults in primary care units. São José dos Pinhais, Paraná, southern Brazil, 2019 (n = 779).
Figure 2
Figure 2. Association between physical activity counseling and perception of barriers reported by adults at primary care units. São José dos Pinhais, Paraná, southern Brazil, 2019 (n = 779).
Figure 3
Figure 3. Association between the number of barriers and practicing fewer than 150 minutes per week of walking and total leisure-time physical activity, among adult patients at primary care units. São José dos Pinhais, Paraná, southern Brazil, 2019 (n = 779).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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