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This is a Pre-Registered Trial study (also classified as: Systematic Review).

May 6, 2026Public Health Nursing0 citationsOpen Access

Barriers and Facilitators Perceived by Primary Healthcare Professionals About Physical Activity Prescription, a Meta‐Ethnography

JBJesús Batuecas-CaletríoServicio de Salud de Castilla La Mancha BRBeatriz Rodríguez-MartínUniversity of Cuenca

Key Points

This research examines the barriers and facilitators perceived by primary healthcare professionals in prescribing physical activity.
Qualitative systematic review using a meta-ethnographic approach
Data collected from various databases from 2013 to 2024
Studies screened and coded using the Social Ecological Model
Methodological quality assessed with Joanna Briggs Institute criteria
Identified barriers include time constraints and insufficient training
Facilitators are interdisciplinary collaboration and community partnerships
Barriers are more prominent than facilitators for physical activity prescription
Effective implementation requires healthcare organizational support and strategies for noncommunicable disease management

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To examine qualitative evidence on the barriers and facilitators perceived by Primary Health Care professionals in prescribing physical activity, using the Social Ecological Model as the analytical framework. METHODS: A qualitative systematic review using a meta-ethnographic approach was conducted. Searches were performed between 2013 and 2024 in Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and The Cochrane Library Plus. Two independent reviewers screened studies, applied eligibility criteria, and coded findings according to the Social Ecological Model. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument. RESULTS: Barriers and facilitators to physical activity prescription were identified across all five domains of the Social Ecological Model. Key barriers included time constraints, insufficient training, lack of organizational and policy support, and limited referral pathways. Facilitators included professionals' willingness, interdisciplinary collaboration, community partnerships, and the availability of structured guidelines. CONCLUSIONS: Barriers to implementing physical activity prescription remain more prominent than facilitators. Effective implementation requires a comprehensive, system-level strategy involving healthcare organizations as well as local, regional, and national structures to support both the management and prevention of noncommunicable diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO under the number CRD42024613298. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

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