The Prevalence of Exercise Prescription‐related Course Offerings in U.S. Medical School Curricula: Exercise is Medicine®

Abstract

Exercise training has proven to be beneficial in the prevention of disease. In addition, exercise can improve the pathogenesis and symptoms associated with a variety of chronic disease states and can attenuate drug‐induced adverse effects. Exercise is a drug‐free polypill. Exercise is Medicine®, a joint initiative between the American Medical Association and the American College of Sports Medicine, was launched in 2007 to call on all health care providers to counsel patients and prescribe exercise in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease states. However, according to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, 48% of Americans still do not meet the national physical activity guidelines. The cause behind the high prevalence is unknown and likely multifactorial. One factor may be under‐education of medical professionals on how to council patients and develop exercise prescriptions. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of course offerings in U.S. medical school curricula regarding training in exercise prescription. School websites were accessed for information regarding course offerings in MD and OD programs. Only those programs whose course descriptions of their full curriculum were accessible online were included in the analysis. The search terms used were exercise prescription, exercise, fitness, and physical activity. 61% (86/141) and 69% (24/35) of MD and OD granting programs were included in the analysis, respectively. Four programs offered courses with the term “exercise prescription” in the course title or description. Only 4 programs offered courses with the terms “exercise, fitness, or physical activity” in the course title. 36% of programs offered courses with the terms “exercise prescription, exercise, fitness, or physical activity” in the course description or course topics, with only 17% of those programs offering required courses. The data suggests that medical students may be under‐educated in the area of exercise prescription, which may contribute to the high prevalence of inactivity.