The Impact of Physical Activity Behavior Change Training for Preprofessional Health Students-A Systematic Review

Health professionals play a crucial role in promoting physical activity, but the impact of physical activity behavior change training on preprofessional health students is underresearched. This systematic review examined the impact of such training for preprofessional health students.

We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and CINAHL up to October 2024. Included studies reported training interventions for preprofessional health students, with outcomes related to changes in knowledge, skills, confidence, and attitudes/intentions toward physical activity promotion. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed studies published in English, excluding qualitative studies, reviews, study protocols, and grey literature. The Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies of Interventions tool was used to assess risk of bias. A narrative synthesis was conducted due to study heterogeneity, with meta-analysis not feasible. The review was registered prospectively with PROSPERO (CRD42023428847).

Sixteen studies from 8 countries were included (median duration: 23 weeks), featuring training approaches such as theoretical, practical, or mixed learning. Participants included medical, nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy, or other health-related degree students. All studies reported positive effects on knowledge, skills, confidence, or attitudes. Approaches combining theoretical and practical components yielded higher improvements in knowledge and confidence compared with single-component approaches. Risk of bias was high in 12/16 studies.

Training preprofessional health students in physical activity support and behavior change can enhance their knowledge, skills, confidence, or attitudes in this area. Variability in methods and risk of bias in the included studies necessitate caution in interpretation. Assessment of long-term training impacts on both preprofessional health students and patient outcomes is needed.