BackgroundGeneral practitioners (GPs) are the major primary healthcare players in the management of type 2 diabetes. In addition to a well-balanced diet, physical activity (PA) appears as a necessary non-medicinal therapy in the management of diabetic patients. However, GPs emphasize several obstacles to its prescription. The aim of this study is to evaluate the practices, barriers, and factors favoring the prescription of PA in type 2 diabetic patients by GPs in French Guiana.MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study using a questionnaire, designed to interview 152 French Guiana GPs and describe their practice in prescribing PA in type 2 diabetic patients.ResultsOur results revealed that the prescription of PA as a non-medicinal therapeutic choice in the management of type 2 diabetes was practiced by 74% of the French Guiana GPs. However, only 37% of GPs responded that they implemented the recommendations; indeed, only one-third knew about them. The majority of GPs were interested in PA training, but only 11% were actually trained in this practice. The lack of structure adapted to the practice of PA and the lack of awareness of the benefits of PA in metabolic pathology appeared as the main obstacles to PA prescription.ConclusionThis study highlights the importance of improving the training of GPs in the prescription of PA, the development of adapted PA structures, and collaboration between the different actors within the framework of the sport-health system in type 2 diabetes in French Guiana.

BACKGROUND General practitioners (GPs) are the major first-line care players of the management of type 2 diabetes, in France. In addition to a well-balanced diet, physical activity (PA) appears as a necessary non-medicinal therapy in its own right. However, GPs emphasize several obstacles to its prescription, in particular due to their lack of knowledge on its practical modalities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the practices, the barriers and the factors favoring the prescription of physical activity in type 2 diabetic patients by GPs in French Guiana.METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the form of a questionnaire, designed to interview 152 French Guiana GPs, to describe their practice in prescribing physical activity (PA) in type 2 diabetic patients. RESULTS: The oral or written prescription of physical activity as a non-medicated therapeutic choice in the management of type 2 diabetes is practiced by 74% of the French Guiana GPs, on an oral mode, for most of them. However, only 37% of doctors responded to apply the content of the recommendations of the French National Authority for Health and decree, indeed only one third knew about it. GPs convinced of the interest of PA and aware of its recommendations in this area, prescribed more PA than others. The majority of physicians are interested in PA training, but only 11% are actually trained in this practice. The lack of structure adapted to the practice of PA and of awareness of the interest of PA in their patients’ metabolic pathology appeared as the main obstacles to the prescription. According to 55% of physicians surveyed, a compensation by social security of the costs related to the prescription would improve the adherence to the practice of PA.CONCLUSIONS: It appears important to develop the training of the GPs, reception facilities adapted to where to refer patients, and collaborations between the various actors within the framework of a sport-health device. In addition, therapeutic patient education (TPE) is to be developed in order to improve patient compliance and adherence to sport-health programs.