Most healthcare students in the West Bank had moderate or high physical activity (90.7%), but activity differed significantly by specialty, with medical students lower than nursing and physical therapy students, and lack of time was the most commonly reported barrier.
Key Findings
Results
Most healthcare students in the West Bank were classified as having high physical activity by GPAQ criteria.
68.1% had high physical activity, 22.5% moderate, and 9.3% low according to total MET-minutes/week.
Overall, 90.7% had moderate or high physical activity.
Cross-sectional study of 408 undergraduate healthcare students from four West Bank universities, conducted February to July 2025.
Data were collected with an Arabic questionnaire adapted from the WHO Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ).
Results
Physical activity level differed significantly across healthcare specialties, with medical students having lower total physical activity than nursing and physical therapy students.
The difference across specialties was significant (p < 0.001).
Post-hoc comparisons showed medical students had lower total physical activity than nursing and physical therapy students.
Medical students showed comparatively lower PA than several other specialty groups.
Results
Healthcare specialty was independently associated with physical activity level in multivariable analysis, whereas sex and academic year were not.
Multivariable multinomial logistic regression used high physical activity as the reference category.
Specialty remained independently associated with activity level (p < 0.001).
Sex and academic year were not associated with activity level in the multivariable model.
Results
Males had higher total MET-minutes/week than females, but sex was not associated with physical activity category.
The difference in total MET-minutes/week by sex was significant (p = 0.033).
Sex was not associated with the categorical classification of low, moderate, or high physical activity.
Results
Self-reported engagement in any physical activity differed from GPAQ-based classification.
76.5% reported engaging in at least one type of physical activity during a typical week.
This was lower than the 90.7% classified as moderate or high activity by GPAQ, so the two measures gave different pictures.
Results
Lack of time was the most commonly reported barrier to physical activity.
65.4% of students reported lack of time as a challenge.
The authors conclude that strategies should facilitate physical activity within demanding academic schedules.
What This Means
This study surveyed 408 undergraduate healthcare students at four universities in the West Bank in 2025 to learn how physically active they are and what gets in their way. Using a standard World Health Organization questionnaire, most students (68.1%) fell into the high activity category, 22.5% were moderately active and 9.3% had low activity. Overall, about 9 in 10 were moderately or highly active.
Activity levels differed by field of study. Medical students were less active than nursing and physical therapy students, and this difference remained after accounting for sex and academic year. Male students had higher total activity amounts than female students, but men and women did not differ in which activity category (low, moderate, high) they fell into. Academic year was not related to activity level. The most common barrier students reported was lack of time (65.4%). Also, 76.5% said they did at least one type of physical activity in a typical week, a figure that differed from the questionnaire-based classification.
This research suggests that healthcare students are generally active, but those in more demanding programs such as medicine may need support that fits their schedules. Because the study is a cross-sectional survey relying on self-reported answers, it cannot show cause and effect, and results may not apply to students elsewhere. The authors suggest specialty-sensitive approaches that make physical activity easier within busy academic timetables.
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Jabareen M, Alhroub W, Fasfoos A, Thabata F, Hamoudah I, Hasasneh H, et al.. (2026). Prevalence and perceived barriers to physical activity among healthcare students: a cross-sectional study in the West Bank.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1937884