Attitudes and practice behaviors of Alaska nurse practitioners related to physical activity screening and counseling of young adults.

摘要

This exploratory descriptive study examines the attitudes and practice behaviors of nurse practitioners in Alaska regarding physical activity screening and counseling of young adults age 18 to 29. Questionnaires were mailed to all nurse practitioners licensed in Alaska, 213 of the returned questionnaires were used in analysis. Positive attitudes related to physical activity screening and counseling of young adults were reported by 98% of participants. Alaska nurse practitioners reported screening and/or counseling an average of 54% of this population. The most common barrier reported by 64% of respondents was lack of time. A statistically significant relationship was found between attitudes and practice behaviors (p = <.001) as well as barriers and practice behaviors (p = <.001). Results of the multiple regression analysis indicate that only 17% of the variance in screening behaviors is related to attitudes and barriers. These findings indicate further exploration in to the factors influencing screening behaviors.