# Analysis of knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding exercise among type 2 diabetes patients and influencing factors: a cross-sectional study

## TL;DR

This study examines how much type 2 diabetes patients know about exercise, their attitudes, and their practices, and identifies factors that influence these aspects.

## Contribution

The study identifies key demographic and socioeconomic factors influencing exercise knowledge, attitudes, and practices in type 2 diabetes patients.

## Key findings

- The overall exercise KAP score among T2DM patients was 122.89 ± 24.33 with a score rate of 66.43%.
- Factors like education, income, and family support significantly influence exercise KAP levels in T2DM patients.
- Patients with lower education, limited income, and rural backgrounds need targeted health education on exercise.

## Abstract

This study investigates exercise-related knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) status and its determinants among type T2DM, with the goal of offering practical references to optimize the implementation of exercise-based interventions for this patient group.

A questionnaire survey was conducted using cluster sampling among 383 hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes in the endocrinology departments of seven tertiary hospitals across Guangdong, Guangxi and Hubei provinces, China. The study analyzed the current status and influencing factors of patients’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding physical activity.

Among the T2DM participants, the overall exercise KAP score reached 122.89 ± 24.33, corresponding to a score rate of 66.43%. Specifically, the exercise knowledge subscale obtained 49.10 ± 13.82 points (score rate: 54.56%), the exercise attitude subscale yielded 26.44 ± 7.66 points (score rate: 66.1%), and the exercise practice subscale achieved 47.34 ± 12.55 points (score rate: 67.63%). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that long-term residence, educational attainment, monthly income, complications, regular exercise habits, diabetes exercise health education, and family support are related factors of exercise Knowledge-Attitude-Practice levels in T2DM patients (R2 = 0.284, P<0.05).

Exercise KAP levels among T2DM patients are generally suboptimal, necessitating timely targeted interventions. The key populations for exercise-focused health education include those with lower educational background, limited income, rural household registration, and no diabetes-associated complications. Tailoring exercise health education to the assessment findings, boosting family-based supportive measures, and encouraging peer communication among patients can effectively elevate their exercise-related KAP levels.