Medical Students’ Knowledge and Attitudes to Physical Activity and Health and to Physical Activity Counseling

Abstract

PURPOSE: Physical activity (PA) counseling in the health care setting is regarded as a promising avenue to increase population level PA. Equipping future physicians with the necessary knowledge is crucial. The aim of this survey was to assess the knowledge on and attitude towards PA and health, as well as PA counseling at a large German Medical School. METHODS: a 15-item online survey was conducted. The study has been approved by the University Ethics Committee. RESULTS: 145 students (106 females,73% ) returned the questionnaire. 118 (81%) reported not knowing the WHO PA recommendations. Only 15 (10,3%) respondents could identify the recommendations correctly. 108 (74%) reported having learnt anything on the health effects of PA. 106 (73%) wished more information on this topic. 97% and 96% of respondents considered PA to be important or very important in the prevention and therapy of chronic diseases respectively. 99% judged PA counseling to be physicians’ task. Weekly reported PA was as follows: 9 (6%) no exercise, 19 (13%) > 1 hr, 47 (32%) 1-2 hrs, 41 (28%) 2-4 hrs, and 29 (20%) ˂4 hours. 32 (22%) respondents were in the entry phase of their studies, 87 (60%) in the midphase and 26 (18%) in their final, practical year. Gender was not associated with the importance of PA in prevention and therapy, with physicians’ PA counseling role and with perceived need for more information on PA and health. High overall PA volume was only associated with physicians’ PA counseling role (Spearman’s rho ,224, p > 0,01.). The importance of PA in therapy was associated with the importance of PA in prevention (Spearman’s rho ,595, p > 0,01.). PA counseling as physicians’ role was associated with PA in prevention (Spearman’s rho,402, p > 0,01) and PA in therapy (Spearman’s rho ,406 p > 0,01) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Medical students are interested in learning about the health effects of PA, consider PA important in the prevention and therapy of chronic diseases, and see PA counseling as physicians’ task, with no difference between males and females and students according to their study phase. Also no association was found between respondents’ PA and health related views and their volume of PA. A self-selection bias in respondents cannot be ruled out.