Recruitment of patients with type 2 diabetes for target group specific exercise programs at an Outpatient Department of a Medical University: A factor analysis

We aimed to evaluate if an outpatient department is a suitable place to recruit people who suffer from Diabetes Mellitus for exercise programs. Therefore, a survey was conducted at the outpatient department of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the Medical University of Vienna. All in all, 104 persons (44 women, 60 men; age: 62.38 ± 13.69 years) were included in the study. We evaluated their interest in exercise programs, which consisted of cardiovascular exercise, strength- and flexibility-training and were offered in the 10th and 13th districts of Vienna. Almost half of the interviewed patients (43%) were interested in exercise programs and eventually almost one quarter (23%) participated in the program. Crucial factors were young age (p = 0.034) and a good economic situation (p = 0.046), which positively affected the participation in the exercise program. We could also detect gender-specific health awareness, as more women than men were interested and finally took part in the courses (3 of 10 women vs. 1 of 10 men, p = 0.023). Our results show that an outpatient department is a suitable place to recruit diabetic patients for exercise programs. However, the limited number of high-quality exercise programs might have decreased the number of participants, as the courses were only offered in two districts. Due to that, the majority of the interviewed persons could not be offered these programs in the vicinity of their places of residence. To promote health awareness and to cover the demand of exercise courses, more high-quality facilities and more focused health care provider services are needed.