Aims: This study aimed to investigate selected chronic diseases patients with different educational attainment regarding their awareness of and compliance with recommended physical activity.
Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2018 to February 2019 in cooperation with chronic diseases clinics in eastern Slovakia. The study involved 893 patients.
Results: People with higher education apparently recognise to a greater extent the importance of nutrition, diet, and the role of physical activity in treating their disease. Moreover, they have knowledge of physical exercises appropriate for their disease. Conversely, a noticeably higher number of less educated patients reported receiving general, respectively detailed information about the importance of physical activity in treating their disease. Differences in awareness of appropriate exercises and their implementation were not statistically significant.
Conclusions: The results fail to prove educational attainment being a key determinant of chronic diseases. However, it can be reasonably argued that lower educational attainment may be a reliable risk signal of chronic diseases in later life.
Keywords: chronic disease patients; educational level; leisure time activity; patients’ awareness; physical activity; prevention.