The Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Diabetics on Physical Activity at the Marc Sankale Center of Dakar

Introduction: The objective of that study was to evaluate diabetics knowledge, attitudes and practices on physical activity. Patients and Methods: That study has concerned 200 diabetics at Marc Sankale antidiabetic Center of Abass Ndao Hospital in Dakar. Women represent 76% with a sex ratio M: F0.13. The average age is 54 years with extremes of 4 to 84 years. The housewives are 29% and among them 15% haven’t any professional activity. 45.07% of the population is illiterate. In our study, 63.13% of patients have low socio economic level. In our series, the majority of patients is type 2 diabetes (89.5%). The diabetes evolution time is about 8 years inferior to 7% in 84 patients. In our study obesity is noted in 17.20% of cases. The HTA is present in 56% of cases. 54% of the studied population presents a dyslipidemia. Physical activity is practiced in 81% of patients. In our study the doctor’ advice motivates the half of our patients to practice physical activity (62.26%). The lack of time (43.2%) and volution (8.1%), the useless character of physical activity (2.7%) and the patients’ health state 45.9% are the obstacles to the practice of physical activity. The average frequency of physical activity practiced by patients is about 4 times a week with extremes ranging from 1 to 7 stages a week. The average time of activity practiced by patients is 39.72% with extremes ranging from 10 to 150 mn. 87% of patients practice physical activity at least 3 times a week. The main risks noted from intense physical activity in diabetics are hypertension 39.0%, ortestic hypertension 3.0%. In the contrary 58.8% of patients ignore the answer. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the ignorance of diabetics on physical activity. Therefore it would be necessary to reinforce the training mainly therapeutic education in the patients taken into account.