How do doctors manage physical activity advocacy for patients and their own self-care? A qualitative interview study of general practitioners in Ireland
Objectives This study explored general practitioners’ (GPs) understanding of physical activity advocacy to patients and their own self-care, how GPs perceive their own physical activity behaviours, how their personal experience of physical activity affects how they promote it in practice and how they define the limitations of their role in this. Design A qualitative design, involving online semi-structured interviews, was employed. Data was analysed by an interdisciplinary team of researchers using an inductive thematic approach. Setting and participants Participants were GPs (n=21) and were recruited from an education and research network. Findings A single meta-theme was identified—moving towards more physically active lifestyles through the art of medicine—with three related subthemes. Subthemes relate to how GPs determine the extent of their role and responsibilities, how physical activity promotion is adapted to the context and how ‘what I’ say is not necessarily ‘what I do’. Afte
