title: What do patients really know? An evaluation of patients' physical activity guideline knowledge within general practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physical inactivity is well recognised as one of the leading causes of preventable death. However, little is known about the general public's knowledge surrounding national physical activity guidelines, particularly within general practice (GP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two GPs (York and Maidenhead, UK).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Are GP patients aware of the national physical guidelines? Also, are health care professionals routinely raising the issue of physical inactivity and would patients welcome support from health care professionals regarding inactivity?
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire was distributed in two GPs over a one-week period to evaluate patients knowledge of the national physical activity guidelines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-four participants completed the questionnaire over one week (60 female; 34 male), with an average age of 54.2 (standard deviation: 19.9 years). 14% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 8-22%) of the total participants correctly knew the recommended national guidelines for physical activity. 52% (95% CI: 42-63%) recalled being asked by a health care professional about their activity levels. 46% (95% CI: 35-56%) would welcome support from a health care professional around improving their activity levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Only 14% of responders correctly knew the current national minimum activity guidelines. Encouragingly 46% of participants in our study were interested in physical activity advice from a health care professional. Health care professionals need to be aware that many patients do not know the current physical activity guidelines and recognise that primary care may be an underutilised opportunity to educate and promote physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London , London , UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morton
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London , London , UK.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Department for Sport & Exercise Medicine, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, UK; School for Sport, Exercise, & Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK; National Centre for Sport & Exercise Medicine - East Midlands (NCSEM-EM), Loughborough, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wheeler
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London , London , UK.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Easton
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London , London , UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majeed
keywords: National physical activity guidelines; exercise interventions; general practice; physical activity