'Movement as Medicine' for Type 2 Diabetes

        

This project involves a pilot study evaluation of a professional and patient physical activity development pathway for Type 2 diabetes.

In the UK, there is a trend towards more sedentary lifestyles where people are moving less in everyday activities. It is also known that daily movement is related to weight gain; physical inactivity is related to glucose control and increased risk of coronary disease; and people with Type II diabetes are less active than people without diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes significantly impacts the lives of those with the condition and represents the single largest financial cost of any chronic condition to the NHS. Physical activity is one of the most potent therapies for managing Type 2 diabetes; walking 45 minutes extra per day produces the same improvement in glucose control as one of the major classes of drugs, yet without the financial cost. Despite this, NICE guidelines are critical about the ability of clinical care teams delivering physical activity as a clinical therapy.

Newcastle University has worked with County Durham Primary Care Trust to develop a physical activity package for use with people with Type 2 diabetes in primary care. This program targets the clinical care teams and patients and has resulted in the production of the UK’s first professional and patient development pathway for people with Type 2 diabetes.

The overall aim of this project is:

• To evaluate the impact of the Movement as Medicine programme upon physical activity and glucose control in people with existing Type 2 diabetes.

The objectives are:

• To establish the effectiveness and acceptability of Movement as Medicine upon physical activity related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, self efficacy and counselling skills of primary care practitioners in the context of diabetes management.
   
• To establish effectiveness and acceptability of Movement as Medicine on physical activity, physical activity related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, self-efficacy and Health Related Quality of Life in adults with Type 2 diabetes

The project is led by a team at the University of Newcastle in collaboration with GPs, the Diabetes Research Network, the Primary Care Research Network and County Durham Primary Care Trust.

The project will be delivered across primary care practices in the County Durham and Darlington area.