Physical activity recommendations for patients with heart failure based on sex

This study investigated the perceptions of healthcare providers regarding sex differences in physical activity, motivations and barriers, and whether adaptations in care based on sex might be meaningful. This is a qualitative study and data were collected in interviews with healthcare providers. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The major theme was that healthcare providers feel that “Men and women are equal, but they are different”. They described that men and women have different reasons and barriers to being active and that they perform different activities. They felt that different care might be needed for patients with heart failure, but that disease burden often has a greater impact on physical activity than patient’s sex.