Exercise as Component of Standard Diabetes Management, the Challenges to Improve Performance among Sudanese Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Exercise is important component of diabetes management. Regular exercise improves blood glucose, reduces hazard of cardiovascular diseases, decreases weight, increases insulin sensitivity and strengthens patients’ general health. Regular exercise can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in those of high-risk populations. Although there are great benefits of regular exercise, unfortunately majority of people with type 2 diabetes are not active. Objectives: The main goal of this study was to assess patients adherence to regular exercise among type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) attending Ribat University Hospital Diabetic Clinic (RUHDC) Khartoum state, Sudan. Methods: Analytical cross sectional hospital based study was carried out among 351 patients from August 2012 to February 2013. Structured questionnaire and patients cards were used to collect data. Results: Out of 351 patients, female were 65.8% and male 34.2%. Patients older than 60 years 48.4%, illiterate 21.0%, only 44.2% had basic educational level, house wife 56.1% and retired 18.5%. Majority had irregular exercise program (80.1%), 12.1% specified lack of time whilst 87.9% did not specify any other reasons as barrier for regular exercise “no reason”. Daily activity was the main type of physical activity (59.8%). Although insignificant, irregular exercise was higher among female patients, their age above 60 years, patients had low education levels and those had financial problems. Conclusion: Regular exercise was low in this study. Lack of time, female, patients older than 60 years, had low education levels, and had financial problems, which were the main barriers of regular exercise. Family support, tailored patients’ education and reduction of patients’ use of technology and modern living can improve the patients’ activity.