Karunaratne MDAI1, Silva SN2, Tissera SR3
1International Institute of Health Sciences, Welisara, Sri Lanka, 2University of Colombo, Post Graduate Institute of Medicine, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 3Nursing Informatics Special Interest Group, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Background: Sri Lankan state sector training system annually adds approximately 3000 nurses who graduate after their 3-year diploma. The training is structured in a manner where the 3rd year is almost entirely trained in wards including activities quite similar to a practicing nurse. Despite these efforts the country has a severe shortage of nurses. It is therefore important to assess the health of these nurses who are added in to the system, who are expected to contribute for 25-30 years. With the current increase of Non-Communicable Diseases, these nurses will also be vulnerable to them in the future. Therefore, assessing the current exercise practices and attitudes among these nursing students is important to identify early a threat that can significantly affect the health workforce in the future.
Purpose: To describe the prevalence of exercise habits related practices among state sector 3rd year nursing students and to assess their attitudes towards physical health promotion.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done on 3rd year nursing students in 16 state sector nursing schools from all provinces in Sri Lanka. A sample of 638 was taken using convenient sampling. Data were collected using a tool containing adopted questions from WHO STEPS and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: Out of the 638 valid responses received, as expected 98% were females. 312 were above the age 25. Others were younger. The mean BMI was 21.35 with a SD of 3.69kgm-2. 554 (86.8%) claimed that they do not consciously engage in exercises. Only 143 (22.5%) claimed that their routine work included intense physical activities for more than 3 days a week. 275 (43.1%) claimed that a typical day in their routine lives included moderate intense activities that raised their heart rate or breathing, but for 254 of them, that did not last even for 15 minutes. 290 of them used walking or cycling for at least 10 minutes to get from place to place for work in a day and 208 of them had 3 or more such days a week. Only 130 (20.4%) were involved in a regular sport as a leisure that involved physical exertion. 479 (75%) thought that even though they educate their patients on the value of exercising, their patients would not comply. 413 (74.6%) nurses who did not exercise and 65 (80.1%) of nurses who exercised thought that their patients would not comply with exercises despite proper education.
Conclusion(s): The exercise practices among the 3rd year nursing students are highly inadequate. Their regular life style also does not seem to involve adequate activities for a physically healthy lifestyle. Their attitude towards physical health promotion among their patients seem poor but seems independent of their personal practices.
Implications: The findings imply that there is a considerable risk for the physical well-being of the future nurses of Sri Lanka and that they lack in the professional ability to convince their patients to engage in regular exercises. This issue is best addressed via a structured program incorporated in to their curriculum.
Keywords: Non Communicable Diseases, Exercise habits, Nurses
Funding acknowledgements: No funds were taken
Purpose: To describe the prevalence of exercise habits related practices among state sector 3rd year nursing students and to assess their attitudes towards physical health promotion.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done on 3rd year nursing students in 16 state sector nursing schools from all provinces in Sri Lanka. A sample of 638 was taken using convenient sampling. Data were collected using a tool containing adopted questions from WHO STEPS and analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: Out of the 638 valid responses received, as expected 98% were females. 312 were above the age 25. Others were younger. The mean BMI was 21.35 with a SD of 3.69kgm-2. 554 (86.8%) claimed that they do not consciously engage in exercises. Only 143 (22.5%) claimed that their routine work included intense physical activities for more than 3 days a week. 275 (43.1%) claimed that a typical day in their routine lives included moderate intense activities that raised their heart rate or breathing, but for 254 of them, that did not last even for 15 minutes. 290 of them used walking or cycling for at least 10 minutes to get from place to place for work in a day and 208 of them had 3 or more such days a week. Only 130 (20.4%) were involved in a regular sport as a leisure that involved physical exertion. 479 (75%) thought that even though they educate their patients on the value of exercising, their patients would not comply. 413 (74.6%) nurses who did not exercise and 65 (80.1%) of nurses who exercised thought that their patients would not comply with exercises despite proper education.
Conclusion(s): The exercise practices among the 3rd year nursing students are highly inadequate. Their regular life style also does not seem to involve adequate activities for a physically healthy lifestyle. Their attitude towards physical health promotion among their patients seem poor but seems independent of their personal practices.
Implications: The findings imply that there is a considerable risk for the physical well-being of the future nurses of Sri Lanka and that they lack in the professional ability to convince their patients to engage in regular exercises. This issue is best addressed via a structured program incorporated in to their curriculum.
Keywords: Non Communicable Diseases, Exercise habits, Nurses
Funding acknowledgements: No funds were taken
Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing; Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: International Institute of Health Sciences
Ethics committee: Bio Inquirer Ethics Review Committee
Ethics number: N221509
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
