Effect of a 12-Week Interval Walking Training Programme on the Resting Blood Pressure of Women with Type 2 Diabetes in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the effect of a 12-week interval walking training (IWT) programme on the resting blood pressure of women with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Makurdi, Benue State. The studyadopted the pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. The study sampled 40 women, aged 45-65 years, with diabetes who met the inclusion criteria using a simple random sampling technique. A portable stadiometer (Seca 213, Germany) was used to measure participants’ stature, while a digital weighing scale (HD-378, Tanita, Japan) was used to measure body mass. Participants’ blood pressure was measured by auscultation using a stethoscope (Littman Classic III 3M, USA) and sphygmomanometer (Welch Allyn, USA). Mean and standard deviation were used to describe the demographic characteristics of the participants. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 alpha level. Effect sizes were determined using partial eta squared (η²p), according to Cohen's thresholds. The results of the study revealed that participation in a 12-week IWT programme resulted in a significant reduction in both resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) (F (1, 39) = 219.547, p < 0.001, partial η²p = .856, AMD = −6.9 mmHg, 95% CI [−9.42, −4.31]) and resting diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (F (1, 39) = 108.75, p < 0.001, partial η²p = 0.746, AMD = −5.9 mmHg, 95% CI [7.98, −3.82]) in women with T2D in Makurdi, Benue State. It was therefore recommended that hospitals in Makurdi consider institutionalizing structured IWT programmes within their diabetic clinics through an exercise prescription unit, where feasible, alongside standard clinical care, to reduce long-term risks.