Level of Physical Activity and Knowledge about the Physical Activity Guidelines in a Group of Medical Residents from Puerto Rico

Abstract

Objective: Physicians who know about physical activity guidelines (PAG) and those who adhere to the PAG themselves may have a greater tendency to recommend physical activity (PA) to their patients. This study was aimed at evaluating the level of PA in a group of medical residents from Puerto Rico and to assess their knowledge regarding the PAG for adults. Methods: A total of 104 medical residents from Puerto Rico completed a selfadministered questionnaire designed to obtain standardized estimates of their PA and to determine their level of knowledge regarding the PAG. Results: Most of the medical residents (66.3%) declared that they did not have any knowledge of the existence of the PAG and that their residency programs had not provided any educational activities about the PAG (96.2%). The level of inactivity among medical residents was high; 41.35% reported not engaging in any PA during their leisure time. Conclusion: Most of the medical residents in this group from Puerto Rico did not know about the PAG and many of them did not engage in PA. As a means of improving patient care, medical residents from Puerto Rico might benefit if their programs implemented educational activities aimed at increasing knowledge of both PA and the PAG.