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Objective To assess perceptions of the benefits of physical activity, actual physical activity practices and perceived barriers to the adoption of a more physically active lifestyle, in women college lecturers and students. Setting The city of Bangalore in South India, with a population of approximately 5.5 million. Method A self-administered questionnaire in a convenience sample of 130 women college lecturers and 129 students.Results 43.4 per cent of students and 53.1 per cent of college lecturers did not perform any discretionary exercise-related activity during the previous month. The overall physical'activity status in the lecturers as indicated by the physical activity level (PAL) was higher than in the students (p<0.05); lecturers spent more than three times the duration in household chores as compared to the students (p<0.05) and at marginally higher intensities (p< 0.05). In both these educated urban groups, knowledge regarding the health benefits of physical activity was virtually nonexistent for some diseases like osteoporosis. Lecturers were better informed about the benefits of physical activity with regard to hypertension, diabetes and arthritis than the students (p<0.01), but the level of awareness was similar for 'heart disease'. A lack of time and of motivation were at the top of the list of perceived barriers to the adoption of a more optimal exercise programme in both groups. Except for 'lack of facilities', which was listed more frequently by the students than the faculty (p<0.05), all other perceived barriers were reported to a comparable extent in both groups.Conclusions This exploratory study indicates that there is a need to improve both knowledge and practices with regard to physical activity in educated urban women. While using lecturers in colleges as vehicles for public health messages may be intuitive and desirable, it will be necessary to ensure that they are better informed and convinced about the utility of lifestyle changes themselves.
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