title: Perceptions of the Exercise Is Medicine Initiative in a Geographically Defined Deep South Population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the population's perceptions of the Exercise Is Medicine (EiM) initiative, as well as factors that influence the accurate perception of the EiM.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 179; 24 primary care advanced-level practitioners, 79 exercise science students, and 76 people from the general population) residing in Oxford, Mississippi, were surveyed for this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 34.7% of advanced-care practitioners, 20.2% of students, and 19.4% of the general population defined the termmedicineas having treatment and preventive aspects. Awareness of the EiM was reported as follows: advanced-care practitioners, 25.0%; students, 20.2%; and the general population, 14.2%. In total, 45.0% of advanced-care practitioners, 34.7% of students, and 32.9% of the general population defined the EiM as having treatment and preventive aspects; 10.0%, 10.1%, and 31.4% of advanced-care practitioners, students, and general population, respectively, viewed the EiM as being preventive only. Women had a 56% reduced odds of having an accurate perception of the EiM (odds ratio 0.44,P= 0.05). When compared with those perceiving their health as excellent/very good, those perceiving their health as good or worse had a sixfold increased odds of having an accurate perception of the EiM (odds ratio 6.08,P= 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On average, all of the subpopulations were unaware of the initiative and had misguided perceptions of the EiM. Sex and health status were associated with accurate perceptions of the initiative. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed herein.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, University of Mississippi, Oxford.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nooe
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, University of Mississippi, Oxford.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, University of Mississippi, Oxford.
authors.forename: M Allison
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, University of Mississippi, Oxford.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Loprinzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008922:Mississippi; D010465:Perception; D012737:Sex Factors; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires