SELF-REPORTED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PRACTICES OF MILITARY PHYSICIANS AND THEIR COUNSELING PRACTICES - A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Objective: To assess physical activity habits, physical activity counseling attitude, practices and its barriers among physicians in military service. Moreover, it evaluated the association between physicians’ physical activity level and their counseling practices.

Study Design: Cross sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Military Tertiary care hospitals of Rawalpindi district, from Jul 2016 to Dec 2016.

Methodology: In this cross sectional study a total of 308 physicians of varying age and specialties were approachhed. The required sample was collected through convenient sampling. Self-administered structured questionnaire adapted from International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used for data collection.

Results: Out of the 308 physicians 245 (79.5%) agreed that their physical activity habits influence counseling practices. Fifty eight percent (181) physicians were physically inactive in their leisure time and 137 (44.5%) physicians had inadequate counseling practices. Significant statistical association existed between physical activity habits of physicians and their counseling attitude and practices.

Conclusion: Physicians’ counseling is significantly associated to one's own health practices, so addressing provider’s lifestyle behaviors is key to substantial improvement in promoting counseling which will eventually help in reducing non-communicable disease (NCD) burden.