Sociodemographic determinants of attrition in hospital based therapeutic exercise programme for type 2 diabetes patients.

BACKGROUND

Abandoning research programmes by participants may impose disadvantages on the participant, the research and the researcher. This study investigated the contributions of sociodemographic characteristics to the attrition of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) patients who enrolled into a 12-week therapeutic exercise programme.

METHODS

In the 12-week, thrice weekly hospital-based therapeutic exercise programme, the contributions of age, gender, duration of diagnosis, marital status, cohabitation, urbanization, educational and employment status to two sources of attrition (inability to locate and decline to commence or complete) were studied.

RESULTS

Participants were aged 48 +/- 9.62 years. Out of the 152 participants who agreed to participate, only 93 (61.18%) actually commenced the exercise programme, while 69 (74.19%) of those who commenced the programme completed it. Risk of attrition due to inability to locate participants was higher in females (OR = 3.25, 95% CI = 2.96-3.91), single or divorced and living in the rural area (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.12-1.52). Risk of decline to commence or complete was higher with increasing age, living alone, longer duration of diagnosis and being in paid employment while this was less likely in individuals who were married and more educated.

CONCLUSION

We recorded 25.81% attrition for those who actually commenced the programme. Sociodemographic characteristics contributed to attrition in the 12-week, thrice weekly hospital-based exercise programme and we suggest closer monitoring (based on these sociodemographic characteristics) of T2D patients scheduled for therapeutic exercises in order to minimize attrition, maximise attendance and ensure higher retention.