Özlem Ovayolu Nimet Ovayolu     Ayşe Şahin

Aim: Physical activity is of vital importance in diabetic and obese patients. Thus, this study was conducted to compare the physical activity levels in these individuals.

Method: This descriptive study was conducted with 90 adult patients who applied to endocrinology and metabolism diseases and internal medicine outpatient clinic of a public hospital between July and August 2016 and were diagnosed with diabetes and obesity by the physician according to the criteria of the American Diabetes Association. Power analysis was performed for determining the sample size. Permissions were obtained from the ethics committee, institution, where the study would be conducted, and the patients before the study. The data of the study were collected by using a questionnaire involving questions questioning socio-demographic and patient information as well as the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) whose validity-reliability was conducted for Turkey. According to the total physical activity scores obtained by the participants from IPAQ; their physical activity levels were classified as “low”, “moderate” and “high”. Body mass index (BMI, weight (kg)/ length² (m²)) of all patients was calculated by using their height and weight measurements. The data of the study were evaluated by using chi-square and Student t analysis in the computer environment.

Outcomes: It was determined that 35.6% of the patients were aged between 35-44 years, 81.1% were women and 91.1% were unemployed. It was found that 60.0% were diagnosed with diabetes, 40.0% were diagnosed with obesity and 65.6% had knowledge about their diseases. 25.9% of the individuals diagnosed with diabetes were “second degree obese” and 47.2% of individuals diagnosed with obesity had “third degree morbid obesity”. It was observed that a great majority of the patients in both groups had irregular and carbohydrate-weighted feeding and did not do regular exercise (p>0.05). It was also determined that 81.5% of individuals diagnosed with diabetes and 55.6% of individuals diagnosed with obesity had “low physical activity level”.

Conclusion and Recommendations: It was determined that the patients diagnosed with diabetes and obesity had low physical activity levels. Accordingly, it is recommended to periodically evaluate the physical activity level of both patient groups and support these patients by referring them to physical activity.

Keywords: Diabetes, Obesity, Physical Activity, Nursing

Correspondence: Nimet Ovayolu, PhD, RN, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey (ovayolu@gantep.edu.tr).