title: Role of Leisure Time Physical Activity in Cancer Prevention: Awareness and Practice among Medical Students at Cairo University
abstract: Background: Physical inactivity is accountable for a sizable proportion of breast and colorectal cancers and other
  non-communicable diseases. The higher the individual’s awareness about the protective role of physical activity (PA)
  in reducing chronic disease, the greater the adoption of PA will be. Objectives: To determine the level of leisure-time
  physical activity (LTPA) and awareness towards the role of LTPA in cancer prevention among a sample of Medical
  students at Cairo University, Egypt. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study, with multistage sampling (a total
  of 519 students from second to six year students) and a self administered questionnaire covering the study objectives.
  Results: A significant decrease in the actual?? level of LTPA was noted with students’ year of enrollment at the medical
  school. However, their knowledge about roles of PA in preventing coronary heart, elevated blood pressure, and elevated
  cholesterol exceeded 80%, with steady increase in relation to the year of enrolment from the second to 6th years. Their
  knowledge about PA preventive influence for cancer was low irrespective of the year enrolment (32.2% for prevention
  of colon and 16.2% for breast cancers). The main sources of knowledge about the role of PA in cancer prevention
  were the internet and media (77%). Conclusion: The students demonstrated a decline in their LTPA coupled with
  poor knowledge about the role of LTPA in cancer prevention. Revision of the current curricula should be considered
  with inclusion of more information on the role of LTPA in cancer prevention to facilitate better awareness of medical
  students and through them their future patients.
authors.affiliation: Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. Email: alshaimaamh@kasralainy.edu.eg ; alshaimaamh@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tarek Tawfik
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: Alshaimaa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohamed Abdelmoaty
authors.forename: Alaa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fouad Abd El Badei
authors.forename: Hamzah Ahmed
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Obaid
authors.forename: Esraa Mowafy
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Alaa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: abosheab
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdulkarim
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Abdelsadek
keywords: Cairo University; cancer prevention; Egypt; medical students; physical activity