Awareness of patients suffering from selected chronic diseases of the importance of physical activity in treating their disorders

Abstract

Introduction. This study aims to determine the level of awareness and meeting recommendations regarding their physical activity in the selected disease risk groups in eastern Slovakia. Methods. The study comprised 893 participating patients (353 males and 540 females). The basic condition to fulfil for participating in the research was the occurrence of one or more diagnoses out of three underlying chronic diseases that do not prevent PA. For data collection, we used a nonstandardized questionnaire which was part of the questionnaire battery explicitly designed for this research. This study presents a selection of questions focusing on patients awareness concerning PA. Results. Within all three groups of chronic diseases, the patients acknowledged that they obtained only general information on the importance of PA in the treatment of their conditions. The patients received information on physical activity in their neighbourhood predominantly from the media and further on from the family members and acquaintances or their doctors or medical staff. The difference between the particular disease groups in terms of the acquired information is minimal. Statistically significant relation between the doctors recommendations and minimum requirements for the treatment of disease was only found in the group of oncology patients. Conclusion. Regular physical activity represents essential advantages for the health of patients suffering from chronic diseases. With this in mind, the doctor, being a trustworthy person to the patient, should be able to inform the patients on the frequency, intensity and the most suitable PA concerning their diagnosis and severity of their medical condition.