Predictors of physical activity and barriers to exercise in nursing and medical students

BACKGROUND: Nurses report inadequacies in health promotion practices. This study investigated attitudes toward being role models for healthy eating, and examined predictors of health promotion attitudes in preregistered nurses.
METHOD: A questionnaire was completed by 493 preregistered nurses. Measures included health promotion attitudes, healthy lifestyle index, self-esteem, and body satisfaction.
RESULTS: Preregistered nurses (89.5%) felt that nurses should be role models for health. However, 37% had a negative health promotion attitude and were more likely to be dissatisfied with their body and lead less healthy lifestyles. Most preregistered nurses (96%) felt that delivering health promotion would be a key element of their job and held positive health promotion attitudes. Healthy lifestyle was the most consistent significant predictor of health promotion attitude.
CONCLUSION: Preregistered nurses with an unhealthy lifestyle and lower self-esteem held a more negative health promotion attitude. Intervention is needed to support preregistered nurses in making healthy lifestyle choices, improving their self-perception and health promotion attitude. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(2):94–103.]