Analysis of Sanford School of Medicine Medical Students' Physical Activity

Recommendations for physical activity in adults include 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of high intensity aerobic activity weekly. Strength training is recommended at least twice weekly. Current literature regarding medical student adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Heart Association (AHA) physical activity recommendations does not encompass South Dakota medical students. The purpose of this study is to determine what percent of Sanford School of Medicine (SSOM) medical students adhere to CDC and AHA physical activity guidelines.

This is a USD IRB approved study. A survey link was sent to 291 medical students at the SSOM. The survey included questions regarding physical activity, weight-training, BMI, and age.

107 SSOM medical students responded to the survey. The average reported weekly high intensity aerobic exercise was 52.8 minutes. The average reported weekly moderate intensity aerobic exercise was 119.4 minutes. 61.7% of students reported completion of recommended aerobic activity, while 38.3% of participants did not meet this recommendation. 50.5% of participants report completing weight training at least twice weekly.

Of the 107 SSOM medical student respondents, 61.7% met AHA and CDC recommendations. A similar study that surveyed 4000 medical students nationwide found that 63.7% of respondents met these aerobic recommendations. Taking into account the smaller study sample, we conclude that SSOM students fall within the normal range of medical students nationwide. Future directions may include increasing the sample size of SSOM medical student respondents and further stratifying these results.