Abstract :
Background: The health benefits of physical activity are well established. In India, it is estimated that overall, 392 million individuals are physically inactive. This is a staggering figure and implies a huge population, which is at risk for developing diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Identification of barriers for physical activity among youngsters would help in development of plans for boosting physical activity among young population.
Objective: The present study is an attempt to explore various barriers for being active among medical undergraduates.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at a medical college in Uttar Pradesh. Sample was drawn using convenience sampling. The data collection was done based on “CDC questionnaire on barriers to being active” using self-administered questionnaire. All the participants fulfilling inclusion criteria were asked to fill the forms honestly by choosing the best option describing their barrier for physical activity against each question in the proforma.
Results: A total of 203 MBBS students participated in the study, comprising of 108 males 95 females. The mean age of the participants was 22.02 years (Range 18 years-26 years). The factor which was perceived as the most significant determinant for physical inactivity was “lack of willpower”. Other significant contributors were “lack of resources”, “lack of energy”, “social influence”, “lack of skills” and “fear of injury” in decreasing order of importance. The sum scores of seven barriers studied were significantly correlated (p
Keyword :
Physical activity, Barriers, CDC questionnaire on barriers to being active.