Questionnaire survey assessing the leisure-time physical activity of hospital doctors and awareness of UK physical activity recommendations
Objective The UK Government Physical Activity Recommendations suggest that adults should aim for 150 min of physical activity each week to maintain health. We assessed the total volume, frequency, intensity and type of exercise taken by hospital doctors in association with their specialty, age and k...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2019-10-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000534.full |
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| author | Jennifer A Cuthill Martin Shaw |
| author_facet | Jennifer A Cuthill Martin Shaw |
| author_sort | Jennifer A Cuthill |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective The UK Government Physical Activity Recommendations suggest that adults should aim for 150 min of physical activity each week to maintain health. We assessed the total volume, frequency, intensity and type of exercise taken by hospital doctors in association with their specialty, age and knowledge of the specific components of the recommendations.Methods An anonymous paper-based questionnaire was distributed to doctors working in the two largest teaching hospitals in Glasgow. 332 questionnaires were analysed with a response rate of 60.3%.Results 239 (72%) doctors felt they exercised regularly with 212 (63.9%) meeting the recommended volume of cardiovascular activity, similar to an age and sex-matched cohort of the general Scottish population. Only 78 (23.5%) doctors achieved the recommended muscle-strengthening activities. 108 (35.5%) doctors were aware recommendations for activity existed but only 45 (13.6%) were able to state the recommended duration of activity per week. Doctors who were aware of the recommendations were more likely to personally achieve them (OR 1.802, 95% CI 1.104 to 2.941) although other additional factors may contribute.Conclusion Although this was a small study in two hospitals, our results suggest that hospital doctors are as active as the general public in the UK of a similar age. Eight years after implementation, knowledge of specific components of the current physical activity recommendations remains poor. Efforts to improve this prior to graduation, combined with improving confidence and competence in counselling practices and enhancing the opportunities for doctors to exercise, could translate into improved healthcare promotion. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e3b680c703bb494481d7ca81dbceb978 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2055-7647 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-e3b680c703bb494481d7ca81dbceb9782025-08-20T02:11:31ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine2055-76472019-10-015110.1136/bmjsem-2019-000534Questionnaire survey assessing the leisure-time physical activity of hospital doctors and awareness of UK physical activity recommendationsJennifer A Cuthill0Martin Shaw1Intensive Care Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UKprincipal clinical physicistObjective The UK Government Physical Activity Recommendations suggest that adults should aim for 150 min of physical activity each week to maintain health. We assessed the total volume, frequency, intensity and type of exercise taken by hospital doctors in association with their specialty, age and knowledge of the specific components of the recommendations.Methods An anonymous paper-based questionnaire was distributed to doctors working in the two largest teaching hospitals in Glasgow. 332 questionnaires were analysed with a response rate of 60.3%.Results 239 (72%) doctors felt they exercised regularly with 212 (63.9%) meeting the recommended volume of cardiovascular activity, similar to an age and sex-matched cohort of the general Scottish population. Only 78 (23.5%) doctors achieved the recommended muscle-strengthening activities. 108 (35.5%) doctors were aware recommendations for activity existed but only 45 (13.6%) were able to state the recommended duration of activity per week. Doctors who were aware of the recommendations were more likely to personally achieve them (OR 1.802, 95% CI 1.104 to 2.941) although other additional factors may contribute.Conclusion Although this was a small study in two hospitals, our results suggest that hospital doctors are as active as the general public in the UK of a similar age. Eight years after implementation, knowledge of specific components of the current physical activity recommendations remains poor. Efforts to improve this prior to graduation, combined with improving confidence and competence in counselling practices and enhancing the opportunities for doctors to exercise, could translate into improved healthcare promotion.https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000534.full |
| spellingShingle | Jennifer A Cuthill Martin Shaw Questionnaire survey assessing the leisure-time physical activity of hospital doctors and awareness of UK physical activity recommendations BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine |
| title | Questionnaire survey assessing the leisure-time physical activity of hospital doctors and awareness of UK physical activity recommendations |
| title_full | Questionnaire survey assessing the leisure-time physical activity of hospital doctors and awareness of UK physical activity recommendations |
| title_fullStr | Questionnaire survey assessing the leisure-time physical activity of hospital doctors and awareness of UK physical activity recommendations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Questionnaire survey assessing the leisure-time physical activity of hospital doctors and awareness of UK physical activity recommendations |
| title_short | Questionnaire survey assessing the leisure-time physical activity of hospital doctors and awareness of UK physical activity recommendations |
| title_sort | questionnaire survey assessing the leisure time physical activity of hospital doctors and awareness of uk physical activity recommendations |
| url | https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000534.full |
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