The need for biokineticists in the South African public health care system

Abstract

Noncommunicable diseases and physical inactivity One in two South Africans are physically inactive [1] , a statistic which urgently needs to be addressed and managed to curb the rampant increase in noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs are a category of chronic diseases that are not infectious and hence cannot be passed on from one person to another. They typically progress at a slow rate and include conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes mellitus. [2] A South African Summit on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases was held on the 12-13 September 2011. The summit reached a consensus regarding the need for an intensified national action plan, addressing prevention, early detection, behavioural change and universal treatment of NCDs in South Africa. This consensus materialised in the form of the Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases 2013-2017. The strategy, developed by the Department of Health, identified three public health strategies. [3] 1. Prevent NCDs and promote health and wellness at population, community and individual levels, 2. Improve control of NCDs through the strengthening and reform of health care systems, 3. Monitor NCDs and their main risk factors, as well as the conducting of innovative research. Physical inactivity is recognised internationally as a significant, independent and modifiable risk factor contributing to the increased prevalence of NCDs. [4] Joubert [1] identified that, based on the 1998 South African Demographic and Health Survey data, an alarming number of NCDs amongst South Africans were attributable to physical inactivity. [5] Physical inactivity was identified as attributable to 47% of ischemic heart diseases and 20% of patients with diabetes mellitus; 87% of cases of type 2 diabetes were attributable to excess body weight, along with 68% of hypertensive disease. Cost-effective approaches to combatting noncommunicable diseases The associated morbidity of health disorders related to inactivity, including health-related quality of life, as well as direct and indirect economic costs, exerts a substantial burden on societies and health systems. In South Africa, use of physicians to address physical inactivity has been estimated to cost R11.80 per head. When compared to the R4.50 per head required for worksite interventions, it is evident that the use of physicians is a relatively large expense. [3] The Global Advocacy for Physical Activity (GAPA) describes seven best investments for physical activity, advocating for the integration of physical activity into the primary health care system to reduce the development of NCDs. [6] The recommended approach to implementing a physical activity programme is a combination of brief counselling and links to community-based supports. These recommendations do not exclude the physician or other health care providers from the management of physical activity; rather it emphasises that a multidisciplinary approach is needed to reduce physical inactivity. Biokineticists, in conjunction with physicians and other practitioners, such as dietitians, physiotherapists and psychologists, are in the best position to contribute towards reducing physical inactivity. Many biokinetics students are denied internship positions due to a lack of capacity within the private health care sector. The utilisation of both interns and qualified biokineticists in the public health care sector provides a cost-effective approach to combatting an increasingly sedentary South African lifestyle. Biokinetics in the South African public health care sector Lee [7] demonstrated that a decrease in physical inactivity by 10% will result in excess of 533 000 lives saved due to NCDs around the world every year. Despite these statistics, South Africa is without a health care professional within the primary health care setting that is adequately equipped to develop and implement physical activity programmes. The primary function of a biokineticist is to improve physical functioning and health Background: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are