Do They Practice What They Preach? A Cross-Sectional Study of Heart-Healthy Dietary, Exercise, and Sleep Habits in US...

Poor diet and lifestyle are associated with elevated risk of poor health outcomes. Medical students (MS) learn about health promotion counseling and the importance of dietary, exercise, and sleep habits. Research suggests that such counseling is more impactful for patients when providers themselves model healthy choices. There is little evidence evaluating whether MS themselves adopt the lifestyles they teach their patients.

We utilized a cross-sectional approach to conduct a voluntary, anonymous survey of all enrolled students at one allopathic medical school in the northeast. Descriptive, bi-and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to characterize MS lifestyle habits across four class cohorts.

Overall response rate (RR) was 46% (401/874). MS did not eat as healthy (70%) nor exercise as much as they would like (79%) and perceived their diet (48%) and exercise (57%) habits as healthier before medical school. MS in class years 2-4 vs. class year 1 were nearly 2.5 × more likely to consume vegetables daily (p < 0.01). Barriers included time constraints (88%), cost (62%), and fatigue (73%).

This is the first study to survey first through fourth-year MS regarding their dietary, exercise, and sleep habits. We identified a significant decline in MS self-reported healthy lifestyle choices and subjective levels of health satisfaction compared to prematriculation statuses. Most respondents cited time constraints, fatigue, and financial limitations as barriers. Future research should further investigate reported barriers and develop approaches to their mitigation. Results must be interpreted in the context of survey limitations, including response rate, selection, and recall biases.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-026-02718-3.