PRESCRIBING WHAT WE DON’T TEACH: KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICE OF EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION AMONG FINAL-YEAR MEDICAL STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA – A MULTICENTRE STUDY
Description
Background: Malaysia has one of the highest obesity rates in Southeast Asia, driven largely by physical inactivity. Despite this burden, medical students may not be adequately trained to prescribe exercise, a core evidence-based intervention. This multicentre study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of exercise prescription among final-year medical students across Malaysian universities. Methods: A cross‑sectional study was conducted from March to May 2026 involving 150 final‑year medical students from ten Malaysian public and private universities. A validated 40‑item questionnaire assessed demographics, personal physical activity (IPAQ‑SF), exposure to exercise medicine, knowledge of WHO/ACSM guidelines, attitudes, practice frequency, and barriers. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi‑square tests. Results: The mean age was 23.5 (SD 0.98) years; 66.7% were female. Only 19.3% of students had any prior exposure to exercise medicine, and 63.3% were personally sedentary (females 77% vs. males 36%, p<0.001). Overall, only 20% achieved adequate knowledge (≥70% correct). While students agreed that exercise prescription is vital (mean 4.1/5), confidence (3.0/5) and perceived preparedness (2.9/5) were low. Lack of knowledge (72.7%) and insufficient training (57.3%) were the dominant barriers. Only 2.0% reported always prescribing exercise during clinical rotations. Conclusion: Malaysian final‑year medical students recognise the importance of exercise prescription but have profound knowledge deficits, low confidence, and almost no formal training. Most are themselves physically inactive. Urgent curricular reform is needed to equip future physicians with the competencies to address the nation’s escalating physical inactivity and obesity epidemics.