title: Increasing population levels of physical activity through primary care: GPs' knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  GPs have the potential to increase population levels of activity and thus produce important health gains.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this questionnaire survey was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and self-reported practice of GPs towards promoting regular physical activity and to assess the likely impact of GPs on population levels of physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high response rate to the questionnaire was obtained and the results suggest that GPs have a good level of knowledge of the health benefits of regular physical activity and the levels required to achieve these, but do not promote activity in a way that will have an impact on the population level.
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health, Nuffield Institute for Health, University of Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lawlor
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keen
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Neal
mesh_terms: D004739:England; D015444:Exercise; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires