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Journal of Primary Health Care Journal of Primary Health Care Society
Journal of The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Influences on health-care practitioners’ promotion of physical activity to their patients with prostate cancer: a qualitative study

Asmita Patel 1 2 , Grant Schofield 1 , Justin Keogh 1 3
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

1 School of Public Health and Psychosocial Studies, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

2 New Zealand College of Chinese Medicine, Auckland, New Zealand

3 Human Potential Centre, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

4 Bond University, Research Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

Correspondence to: Asmita Patel, Human Potential Centre, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, Auckland, New Zealand. Email: asmita.patel@aut.ac.nz

Journal of Primary Health Care 10(1) 31-38 https://doi.org/10.1071/HC17036
Published: 27 February 2018

Journal Compilation © Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners 2018.
This is an open access article licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Physical activity is beneficial for the physical and psychological health of patients with prostate cancer (PCa). Health-care practitioners are ideally positioned to promote physical activity to their patients.

AIM: To identify factors that influenced health care practitioners to either promote or not promote physical activity to their patients with PCa.

METHODS: Individual interviews were conducted with 16 Auckland-based health-care practitioners, including specialists (oncologists and urologists), physiotherapists and complementary and alternative (acupuncturists) health-care practitioners. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach.

RESULTS: Treatment-related factors (ie counteracting side-effects of hormone suppression treatment), longer life expectancy and risk factors for other conditions appeared to influence the promotion of physical activity to patients. Time constraints of consultations and complex medical issues were barriers to the promotion of physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS: This study found that a variety of health-care practitioners are providing some degree of physical activity advice to their patients with PCa. Collaborative practice among health-care practitioners to verbally reinforce the benefits of physical activity, coupled with referral to experts in physical activity promotion/rehabilitation (such as physiotherapists), should be encouraged for best practice care.

KEYWORDS: Prostate cancer; physical activity; health-care practitioners; lifestyle advice; androgen deprivation treatment (ADT)


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