IJCM_375A: Levels of physical activity and its barriers among students in a medical college in Dakshina Kannada district

Abstract

Background: Physical activity is associated with many health benefits like maintaining weight and decreased risk factors for Non-communicable Diseases. Physical inactivity is seen as prevalent among students who have a higher workload especially students in the medical field. Lack of physical activity in students could be one of the reasons for low performance in academics as well as other day-to-day activities Objective: Among the students of a medical college in Dakshina Kannada district in April 2023: to assess levels of physical activity and to determine the barriers to physical activity. Methodology: A cross sectional study recruiting 256 medical students chosen equally from each admission year (4 years) by Stratified Random Sampling with gender. Study duration was 6 months. Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to obtain data. Data collected were entered in Microsoft Excel and reported as frequency and proportions. METs (Metabolic Equivalents) were calculated that are used to express the intensity of physical activities. Results: Most participants were in the age group of 18-24. Less than 4 out of 5 students exhibited lower recommended WHO physical activity. Conclusion: Despite a majority falling within the 18-24 age range and diverse parental education backgrounds, a significant proportion fails to meet WHO recommendations. Identified barriers emphasize need for targeted interventions. The study highlights how critical it is to address these problems in order to encourage medical students to lead more active lives.