The Factors Predicting Physical Activity Among Vietnamese with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Hanoi, Viet Nam

Abstract

This cross-sectional analytic study aimed to explore the level of physicalactivity, and to predict personal characteristics, perceived susceptibility, perceivedseverity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and perceived self-efficacy on thephysical activity of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Hanoi, Viet Nam. Thestudy was based on the Health Belief Model1 and the findings of a literature review.A stratified random sampling technique was used to select one district hospital inan urban area and the other district hospital in a rural area of Hanoi, Viet Nam.The data was collected from 110 participants in an urban area and 136 participantsin a rural area using self-report questionnaires. Stepwise multiple regressionanalysis revealed that the mean score of physical activity was 2062.20 MET (Metabolicequivalent)-minutes per week (SD = 1168.45, range 0.00 – 5520.00), and it revealedthat 11.4% of participants didn’t have enough physical activity. It also indicated thatonly four variables (occupation of labor, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity,and perceived self-efficacy) were significant predictors of physical activity. Thesevariables accounted for about 20% (R2 = .20, p < .05) of the variability in physicalactivity. Because too few studies of these factors were conducted in type 2 diabetesmellitus in Viet Nam, further research in this field is necessary to determine if thefindings of this study are consistent in this population. This study contributes scientificevidence of predictors of physical activity that can provide the basis for generatingeffective interventions to increase physical activity in Vietnamese people with type2 diabetes mellitus, to control blood glucose, and to enable them to maintain theirhealth.