Centre for Health Promotion Studies, School of Public Health/Faculty of Physical Education, University of Alberta, 5-10A University Extension Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ron.plotnikoff@ualberta.ca
Physical activity plays a key role in diabetes management, and in reducing the risk factors related to the development of co-morbid conditions. This study examined predictors of physical activity (Static Model) and activity change (Change Model) for individuals with type 1 (T1D) or type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a population sample of 1662 adults (510 type 1; 1152 type 2) using self-reported measures of co-morbidities, perceived difficulties in performing tasks of daily living (TDL), time since diagnosis, and selected demographic factors. Since the motivation for physical activity could be influenced by the initial diagnosis of diabetes, analyses were conducted separately for newly diagnosed individuals (diagnosed with diabetes 1 year). In the Static Model, a younger age (beta=-.11, p1 year, but not in newly diagnosed individuals. A shorter duration of disease (beta=-.07, p