Does The Knowledge Level of Nursing Students about Physical Activity Barriers and Cardiovascular Risk Factors Affect Their Physical Activity Status?: A Cross-Sectional Study

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Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the level of knowledge of physical activitybarriers and cardiovascular risk factors affecting the physical activity status of nursing students.Methods: The study was conducted between June-July 2024 with 365 nursing students in adescriptive correlational study. Student Introduction Form, Cardiovascular Diseases Risk FactorsKnowledge Level Scale, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short form) and PhysicalActivity Barriers Scale were used to collect the data. The research data were evaluated with SPSS26 package program.Results: The overall mean level of knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors was 18.53±5.27, totalphysical activity was 1075.31±2399.6 metabolic equivalents (MET)-min/week and physicalactivity barriers was 58.60±16.05. It was determined that 66.8% of the students were physicallyinactive and only 10.4% were active. It was found that physical activity differed according to age,grade and place of residence, there was a positive relationship between physical activity andcardiovascular risk factors and a negative relationship between physical activity barriers. Inaddition, it was determined that the level of knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and physicalactivity barriers were significantly predicted by the status of physical activity.Conclusions: As a result of the study, it is seen that the physical activity level of the students isminimum, their knowledge level of cardiovascular risk factors is above the medium level, and theirphysical activity barriers are below the medium level. The results of the study reveal the importanceof cardiovascular risk factors knowledge level and physical activity barriers in increasing students'physical activity. The results suggest that to increase the physical activity level of students, it isnecessary to increase the level of knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors, as well as to determinethe sociodemographic factors that may prevent physical activity and to develop appropriatestrategies.