Public release date: 27-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Stephanie Burns sburns@bmjgroup.com 44-020-738-36920 BMJ-British Medical Journal

[Physical activity education in the undergraduate curricula of all UK medical schools. Are tomorrow's doctors equipped to follow clinical guidelines? Online First doi 10.1136/bjsports-2012-091380]

UK medical school teaching on physical activity is "sparse or non-existent," finds research published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine today.

This knowledge gap will leave tomorrow's doctors ill equipped to promote physical activity effectively to their patients and stem the rising tide of serious disease associated with lack of exercise, say the authors.

They base their findings on the results of a survey sent to the curriculum lead or director for medical studies for each of the UK's 31 medical schools.

This asked about the form and content of key aspects of education on the promotion of physical activity, in accordance with national guidelines, and the total amount of time given over to teaching the basic science and health benefits of physical activity across the undergraduate course.

The education leads were asked to name the specific teaching modules in which physical activity education appeared. And they were asked if the Chief Medical Officer's (CMO's) guidance on physical activitywhich spans all age groups, and which was published last Julyappeared anywhere in the curriculum.

The responses uncovered "some alarming findings, showing that there is widespread omission of basic teaching elements," say the authors.

All the medical schools responded. Only four (15.5%) included physical activity in each year of the undergraduate course. Five (16%) did not include any specific teaching on it in their undergraduate courses.

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UK medical school teaching on physical activity virtually 'non-existent'