title: Personal and clinical exercise-related attitudes and behaviors of freshmen U.S. medical students.
abstract: To determine personal and clinical exercise-related attitudes and behaviors of freshmen U.S. medical students, we surveyed 1,906 entering freshman medical students (response rate = 87%; average age = 24 years) in 17 U.S. medical schools. Students reported a median of 45 min/day of exercise, 80 min/week each of mild and moderate exercise, and 100 min/week of strenuous exercise. Nearly all students (97.6%) engaged in some moderate or vigorous exercise in a typical week. Sixty-four percent complied with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services exercise recommendations. Most freshmen (79%) believed it would be highly relevant to their future practices to counsel patients about exercise; predictors included intention to provide primary care, excellent health, prevention emphasis by their personal physician, and performing more strenuous exercise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University, USA. efrank@emory.edu
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Galuska
authors.forename: Lisa K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Elon
authors.forename: Elsa H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001519:Behavior; D003376:Counseling; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States