Exploring physical activity, perceived barriers, and social media influence in Turkish physiotherapy students

Abstract

Low physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary behavior are major public health concerns. This study assessed PA levels, knowledge of PA guidelines, perceived barriers to exercise, and social media addiction among Turkish physiotherapy students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 302 undergraduate physiotherapy students in Istanbul, Turkey. Data were collected through paper-based questionnaires and face-to-face interviews using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), a PA knowledge assessment, the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS), and the exercise benefits and barriers scale. Descriptive statistics, the Mann–Whitney U test, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman correlation were used for analysis. The mean age of participants was 21.1 ± 2.6 years, with a mean BMI of 22.8 ± 4.0 kg/m²; males had significantly higher BMI than females (24.4 vs. 22.1; p < 0.001). Most students were female (69.6%), Turkish (83.9%), and living in private homes (86.1%). The mean total MET rate was 2593 ± 2326 (median = 1386), with 25.8% of students classified as low active, 27.5% moderately active, and 46.7% highly active. Students engaged in vigorous activity 1.1 days/week (71 min/day) and spent 164 min/day sitting. Knowledge of WHO exercise recommendations was poor, with only 5% and 2.3% answering correctly for moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity, respectively. No significant differences in PA intensity were found by sex, academic year, or exercise barriers. A weak but significant positive correlation was observed between social media addiction and perceived exercise barriers (r = 0.206, p < 0.01) whereas no significant association was found between PA levels and social media addiction. Most students had normal BMI and moderate-to-high physical activity levels, but knowledge of recommended exercise guidelines was limited. A weak positive association between social media dependence and perceived exercise barriers was observed, suggesting that excessive social media use may influence engagement in physical activity; however, this relationship warrants further investigation before drawing firm conclusions.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-026-52850-8.

Introduction

Low levels of physical activity (PA) and a sedentary lifestyle have become major public health concerns, contributing to the rise of chronic diseases and a reduced life expectancy worldwide^1–3. Furthermore, prolonged sedentary behaviour is independently associated with poor health outcomes⁴. Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality, accounting for 6% of deaths worldwide (WHO, 2018). Notably, one in four adults globally does not engage in sufficient physical activity.⁵ Inactive individuals spend 38% more days in the hospital and consume significantly more healthcare resources than those who are physically active.⁶.

Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that results in energy expenditure. In contrast, sedentary behavior refers to any waking activity characterized by an energy expenditure of 1.5 metabolic equivalents of task (MET) or less while sitting, reclining, or lying down^7,8. Engaging in daily physical activity at a low or moderate level can be considered a key factor in promoting both physical and mental health. The physical benefits include maintaining a healthy body weight and lowering blood pressure, among others⁹.

Current guidelines recommend that adults engage in at least 150 min per week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, 75 min per week of vigorous-intensity activity, or an equivalent combination—such as 500 to 1000 MET-minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activit^10,11. Increasing moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity to 300 and 150 min per week, respectively, offers additional health benefits. However, globally, one in four adults still do not meet these recommendations¹².

Physiotherapy students represent a group of young adults who are expected to have a strong understanding of physical activity. Encouraging physical activity among these students is a strategic approach that could help reduce physical inactivity and its associated disease burden in future generations¹³. Additionally, despite their awareness of the protective role of physical activity in preventing and treating various conditions, physiotherapy students engage in it less frequently than expected^14–17. These findings are particularly concerning given the nature of the work these students will be doing in the future¹⁸.

Nowadays, the demands of the physiotherapy profession are increasing daily. Physiotherapists are required to engage in various activities, working in hospitals and rehabilitation centers with a wide range of patients. Their responsibilities include guiding patients through exercises and assisting with patient transfers, which require significant strength, endurance, and flexibility. To meet these demands, physiotherapists must maintain a high level of physical fitness. However, due to a lack of attention to their own physical fitness, there has been an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among both physiotherapists and students. As fitness trainers, they are expected to maintain a strong level of fitness themselves¹⁹.

Previous studies suggest that physical activity guidelines are inadequately taught in undergraduate medical curricula, and there is a lack of knowledge about them among final-year medical students^20–22. A survey of physiotherapists in Ireland found that only 51% of participants were able to accurately state the current physical activity guidelines²³. No studies have been found that explore the knowledge of physical activity guidelines among physiotherapy students in Turkey. Therefore, there is a need to assess the physical activity levels and determine the physical fitness levels of physiotherapy students.

Despite the well-established benefits of physical activity, numerous barriers hinder participation among young adults and health sciences students. These barriers often include lack of time due to academic workload, fatigue, insufficient motivation, and competing social or family commitments^24–26. Environmental and structural barriers, such as limited access to sports facilities or safe spaces for exercise, have also been reported²⁷. Studies among medical, nursing, and allied health students show that even those with good knowledge of the benefits of physical activity frequently experience difficulties in integrating it into their daily routines^28,29. These reports emphasize the importance of assessing physical activity levels and fitness among physiotherapy students, especially in countries where no such data exist.

In recent years, social media has emerged as a significant factor influencing physical activity behaviors. On the one hand, digital platforms provide opportunities for health promotion, peer encouragement, and access to online exercise resources, which may support engagement in active lifestyles^30,31. On the other hand, increased screen time associated with social media use contributes to sedentary behavior, displaces physical activity, and may reinforce negative body image or misinformation regarding exercise and health^32,33. Among university students, higher social media use has been associated with lower levels of physical activity and greater perceived barriers, particularly lack of time and motivation^34,35. These findings highlight the dual role of social media as both a potential facilitator and barrier, underscoring the need to consider its impact when examining PA behaviors in young adult populations.

This study was conducted in Turkey, where physiotherapists complete a 4-year professional degree, receiving training in both theory and clinical practice across all levels of care. As key players in promoting physical activity, it is valuable to investigate the health behaviors of both physiotherapists and physiotherapy students.

Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the physical activity levels, physical fitness, knowledge of PA guidelines, and perceived barriers to PA among physiotherapy students in Turkey. In addition, the study sought to explore the potential influence of social media use on PA behaviors and barriers. We hypothesized that (i) a substantial proportion of students would not meet current PA guidelines, (ii) knowledge of PA recommendations would be limited, (iii) perceived barriers would be negatively associated with PA levels, and (iv) higher levels of social media use would be related to greater sedentary behavior and increased barriers to PA.

Methods

Procedure

In this cross-sectional study, 303 undergraduate physiotherapy students from Üsküdar University in Istanbul, Turkey, were recruited using a census method. Data were collected through paper-based questionnaires and face-to-face interviews at the Uskudar University ÜSFIZYOTEM Research Centre between October and November 2024. Ethical approval was obtained from the Üsküdar University Non-Interventional Research Ethics Committee (Ref. No. 11; 27/11/2023).

Participants

Undergraduate physiotherapy students enrolled in the 4-year professional degree program at Üsküdar University were invited to participate. Students were included if they were currently enrolled full-time in the physiotherapy program in any academic year, aged 18 years or older, able to provide informed consent, and willing to complete the survey and participate in assessments. Students were excluded if they had acute or chronic medical conditions or physical limitations that could interfere with safe participation, were on academic leave or not actively attending classes during the study period, or had incomplete survey responses or refused to participate in testing. Of the 493 eligible students, 303 completed the study, yielding a participation rate of 61.3%.

Flow of physiotherapy senior students from initial approach (N = 493) through completion (N = 315), exclusions for > 20% missing data (n = 12) and one person due to our inclusion criteria being at least 18-y old (N = 1), to final analysis (N = 302), yielding a 61.2% participation rate. Non-response (N = 178) primarily due to clinical internships or absence (Fig. 1). As we used the census method and not a sample size formula, a priori power analysis was not performed. However, the achieved sample size of 302 participants is sufficiently large for the planned statistical analyses and provides robust estimates.

Fig. 1.

Participant flow diagram.

Measures

The data were gathered using four scales, described below:

1. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Form (IPAQ-SF) (Turkish version) aimed to identify the frequency and duration of walking, moderate-intensity physical activity (PA), vigorous-intensity PA, as well as the time spent sitting over the previous 7 days. The data were processed according to established guidelines and presented as MET-minutes per week³⁶. One MET represents the rate of energy expenditure while sitting at rest, which, for most people, approximates an oxygen uptake of 3.5 ml per kilogram per minute.³⁷. According to the IPAQ scoring protocol, MET minutes per week for specific activities are calculated by multiplying the MET value of a particular activity by the minutes spent doing that activity. The following values for the intensity of PA were used in the analysis: walking = 3.3 METs, moderate-intensity PA = 4.0 METs, and vigorous-intensity PA = 8.0 METs. The questionnaire also assessed the average time spent sitting per day, and students were classified into three different categories of physical activity level: low (1), moderate (2), and high (3). Participants who engaged in vigorous-intensity PA for at least 3 days, achieving a minimum total of 1,500 MET-minutes per week, or participated in 7 days a week of any combination of walking, moderate-, or vigorous-intensity PA, achieving a minimum total of 3,000 MET-minutes per week, were classified into category 3. Those who had 3 or more days of vigorous-intensity PA lasting at least 20 min per day, or 5 or more days of moderate-intensity activity and/or walking for at least 30 min per day, or 5 or more days of any combination of walking, moderate-, or vigorous-intensity PA, achieving a minimum total of 600 MET-minutes per week, were classified into category 2. Participants who did not meet the criteria for category 2 or 3 were classified into category³⁸. The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the BFAS have been reported by Saglam et al³⁹ .

2. Knowledge of physical activity was assessed using the measure developed by Lowe et al., which included five questions regarding physical activity knowledge. The first two questions assessed the subjects’ awareness of physical activity and whether they had learned about PA in their undergraduate courses, with dichotomous (yes/no) answers. The remaining three questions focused on the minimum recommended duration of moderate and vigorous-intensity physical activity, as well as the number of strength training sessions required to have a positive health effect for an adult, with multiple-choice answers⁴⁰.

3. Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale (BFAS): In the current study, social network addiction was assessed using the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, developed by Andreassen et al. to measure Facebook addiction in a sample of 423 Norwegian students⁴¹. The questionnaire consists of six items answered on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (“Very rarely”) to 5 (“Very often”) (e.g., "Felt an urge to use Facebook more and more" and "Used Facebook so much that it has had a negative impact on your job/studies"). Initially, a pool of 18 items was constructed, with three items reflecting each of the six core elements of addiction: salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse the item within each of the six addiction elements with the highest corrected item-total correlation was retained in the final scale. Thus, the overall score ranges from 6 to 30, all adhering to a one-year time frame. Although the original study did not provide cut-off estimates, scoring 3 or above on at least four of the six items has been proposed as a liberal approach to classify someone as a Facebook addict, while scoring 3 or above on all six items was suggested as a more conservative approach. The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the BFAS have been reported by Akin et al.⁴² and Ulke et al.⁴³.

4. Exercise benefits and barriers scale (EBBS) :To explore perceived barriers to exercise, we benefited from the exercise benefits and barriers scale developed by Lovell⁴⁴. Due to the objective of the study, we included only the barrier-related questions from the scale. The scale consisted of 14 items across four subscales: Exercise Environment, Time Expenditure, Physical Exertion, and Family Discouragement. It used a four-point, forced-choice Likert-type format, with responses ranging from 4 (strongly agree) to 1 (strongly disagree). Scores on the instrument can range from 14 to 56; the lower the score, the more negatively the person perceives exercise, and vice versa. The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the BFAS have been reported by Ortabag and Ozturk⁴⁵.

Analysis

The collected data were presented using descriptive statistical measures, such as frequency distribution, percentages, and means and standard deviations. To identify the differences between PA levels and gender, we used the Mann–Whitney test. Differences in PA levels across students’ years of study and EBBS scores were assessed separately using the Kruskal–Wallis test, with each variable analyzed independently rather than jointly. The data were analyzed using SPSS 20, with a significance level of 0.05 considered for the analysis.

Findings

The average age of the students was 21.1 ± 2.6 years, with a range of 18 to 41 years. Their average height was 168.8 ± 9.1 cm, average weight was 65.2 ± 14.6 kg. The average BMI of the participants was 22.8 ± 4.0 kg/m². Male students (n = 92) had a mean BMI of 24.4 ± 3.8 kg/m², while female students (n = 210) had a mean BMI of 22.1 ± 3.9 kg/m². The difference between male and female students was statistically significant according to the Mann–Whitney U test (p < 0.001). Overall, 225 participants (74.5%) had a normal BMI, 60 (19.9%) were overweight, and 17 (5.6%) were classified as obese. Among the participants, 210 (69.5%) were female. In terms of residence, 260 students (86.1%) lived in private homes, while 42 (13.9%) resided in dormitories. Regarding their academic year, 25.2% were first-year students, 25.2% were second-year students, 22.5% were third-year students, and 27.1% were in their fourth year. In terms of nationality, the majority of the students were Turkish (254, 83.9%), followed by Iranians (26, 8.6%), with the remainder belonging to other nationalities.

In terms of the physical activity variable, the results showed that the students engaged in vigorous physical activity an average of 1.07 days per week, with a mean duration of 71 min. Additionally, they spent an average of 164 min per day sitting (Table 1).

Table 1.

Mean and standard deviation of time spent based on questions from the international physical activity questionnaire.

IPAQ items	Mean (SD)	Min	Max	Median	Unit
1. During the last 7 days, on how many days did you do vigorous physical activities like heavy lifting, digging, aerobics, or fast bicycling?	1.07 (1.62)	0	7	2	Day per week
2. How much time did you usually spend doing vigorous physical activities on one of those days?	71.03 (94.78)	0	720	60	Min
3. During the last 7 days, on how many days did you do moderate physical activities like carrying light loads, bicycling at a regular pace, or doubles tennis?	1.34 (1.66)	0	7	2	Day per week
4. How much time did you usually spend doing moderate physical activities on one of those days?	50.98 (59.84)	0	300	30	Min
5. During the last 7 days, on how many days did you walk for at least 10 min at a time?	5.79 (1.79)	0	7	7	Day per week
6. How much time did you usually spend walking on one of those days?	70.89 (78,54)	0	360	50	Min
7. During the last 7 days, how much time did you spend sitting on a weekday?	164.11 (191.90)	0	1080	180	Min

The mean total MET rate among participants was 2593 ± 2326, with a range of 66 to 21,252 and a median of 1386. The results of physical activity, based on the MET-min/week criterion, showed that 78 participants (25.8%) had low MET levels, 83 participants (27.5%) had moderate MET levels, and 141 participants (46.7%) had high MET levels.

Regarding students’ knowledge of the recommended duration and intensity of exercise per week according to the World Health Organization, the results showed that only 15 students (5%) answered correctly about the duration of moderate-intensity exercise, and only 7 students (2.3%) answered correctly about the duration of vigorous-intensity exercise (Table 2).

Table 2.

Frequency distribution of responses to questions about exercise duration knowledge based on world health organization recommendations among the studied students.

Knowledge item	In correct N (%)	Correct N (%)
Do you know how many minutes of moderate intensity physical activity is recommended per week for adults?	287 95	15 5
Do you know how many minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity is recommended per week for adults?	295 97.7	7 2.3
Do you know on how many days per week it is recommended that adults do strength training?	209 63.9	93 30.8

The results of the Mann–Whitney test indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in PA intensity (MET-min/week) between male and female students (p = 0.123) (Table 3).

Table 3.

Mann–Whitney test results for PA intensity (MET-min/week) among male and female students.

	Female (n = 210) MET-min/week	Male (n = 92) MET-min/week	p-value
Vigorous—intensity (n = 78)	4019 ± 2423	4573 ± 3260	0.316
Moderate—intensity (n = 83)	1016 ± 277	1077 ± 241	0.466
Walking (n = 141)	280 ± 131	282 ± 152	0.850
Total	2178 ± 2339	2676 ± 3090	0.125

The Kruskal–Wallis test results indicated that there was no significant relationship between students’ PA levels and their year of study (p = 0.677), although second-year students showed higher levels of PA (Table 4).

Table 4.

Results of the Kruskal–Wallis test examining the relationship between physical activity levels and year of study.

Year	Vigorous physical activity [MET min/week]	Moderate physical activity [MET min/week]	Walking [MET min/ week]	Sum [MET min/week]
1 (n = 76)	3930 ± 2416	1077 ± 268	254 ± 126	2186 ± 2346
2 (n = 76)	4957 ± 3735	981 ± 192	246 ± 102	2733 ± 3396
3 (n = 68)	3959 ± 1998	1034 ± 324	364 ± 144	2306 ± 2148
4 (n = 82)	3937 ± 2346	1027 ± 280	280 ± 157	2095 ± 2247

The mean score for barriers to exercise was 27.3, with a standard deviation of 5.6, out of a possible total of 45 (Table 5).

Table 5.

Mean and standard deviation of scores in the areas of barriers to exercise among the studied students.

Sub-scale	Mean (SD)	Range
Exercise milieu	11.5 (3.0)	6–22
Time expenditure	5.4 (1.6)	3–11
Physical exertion	7.0 (2.5)	3–12
Family discouragement	3.4 (1.4)	2–8
Total (n = 302)	27.3 (5.6)	14–45

The Kruskal–Wallis test revealed no significant relationship between students’ PA levels and barriers to exercise (p = 0.113) (Table 6).

Table 6.

The results of levels of physical activity and barriers to physical activity.

Level physical activity	Mean (SD)
Inactive (n = 78)	28.4 ± 5.4
Moderate (n = 83)	26.5 ± 5.3
Active (n = 141)	27.3 ± 5.8
Total (n = 302)	27.3 ± 5.6

The mean social media addiction score was 17.5, with a standard deviation of 5.4, out of a possible 30 points. The results of the Spearman correlation test indicated a statistically significant but weak correlation between BFAS and EBBS (r = 0.204, p < 0.01). This indicates that as the level of social media dependence increases, the perceived barriers to exercise and regular physical activity also increase significantly.

Discussion

This study found that 25.8% of physiotherapy students were classified as inactive, 27.5% as moderately active, and 46.7% as highly active based on MET-min/week. These findings suggest that most students engage in moderate-to-high levels of physical activity, although a considerable proportion remains inactive. Comparable results were reported by Dąbrowska-Galás and Galás, who found that nearly half of Polish physiotherapy students demonstrated high physical activity levels⁴⁶. Similarly, Kotowski and Ostrowska observed that approximately 90% of Polish physiotherapy students were physically active⁴⁷, which is even higher than the proportion observed in the present study. In contrast, Dabholkar et al. reported that only 11% of Indian physiotherapy students were classified as intensely active⁴⁸. These discrepancies across countries may reflect differences in cultural norms, attitudes toward exercise, educational environments, and access to sports facilities.

The results of this study revealed that most students were unaware of the amount of moderate and vigorous physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization. This highlights the need for physiotherapy students to be properly informed about these guidelines, as they must have sufficient knowledge in this area to effectively educate their future patients. One study found that short-term consultations with physiotherapists significantly increased physical activity among adults who were not previously active⁴⁹. Additionally, Jadhav’s study showed that only 19% of physiotherapists correctly answered questions related to the three areas of exercise recommended by the WHO⁵⁰, which was a higher level of knowledge than that observed in the present study. In their study, Lowe et al. found that only 16% of physiotherapists correctly answered all three questions related to the physical activity guidelines⁴⁰. Inconsistent with the current study, an online questionnaire survey of bachelor’s physiotherapy students from 23 European faculties across eight countries found that 79% of students met the minimum recommendation of 150 min of physical activity per week, with 67% engaging in strength training twice a week⁵¹.

Contrary to some previous studies, no significant differences in physical activity levels were observed between male and female students, nor across academic years. This suggests that, in this study, gender and year of study did not substantially influence overall engagement in physical activity. While prior research often reports higher vigorous activity among males or variations across academic years due to workload or adjustment periods^52,53 , these differences were not apparent in the present study. It is possible that structured routines, curriculum demands, or cultural factors may contribute to a relatively uniform level of activity among students, regardless of gender or year. Nevertheless, trends in the data indicated slightly higher activity in second-year students and marginally higher vigorous activity among males, highlighting areas for further investigation in larger samples. Consistent with the present findings, Pavani et al. also reported no significant difference in physical activity levels between male and female students⁵⁴.

In this study, no significant relationship was found between physical activity levels and social media addiction. Similar results were reported by Hürer et al.^41,55 among physiotherapy and rehabilitation students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and by Mak et al.⁵⁶, both of which also found no significant correlation between these variables. In contrast, Brailovskaia and Margraf⁵⁷ reported a significant association between physical activity and social media dependence as measured by the Bergen scale. Overall, the present findings align with most previous studies, though further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to clarify these relationships. One possible explanation is that students may still maintain baseline levels of daily activity through routines such as commuting or academic tasks, even with high social media use, resulting in no direct effect on PA. However, excessive screen time may contribute to fatigue, time constraints, disrupted sleep, or negative body image, which heighten perceptions that exercise is difficult. Thus, social media may influence how students perceive their ability to engage in PA rather than their actual participation.

The correlation observed between BFAS and EBBS was statistically significant but weak, and therefore should be interpreted with caution. Such a small effect size suggests that while higher social media addiction may be linked to greater perceived barriers to exercise, this relationship is limited and may not translate into meaningful behavioral outcomes. The weak association could be influenced by unmeasured confounders such as stress, academic workload, or mental health, and further studies with larger samples are needed to clarify the nature and strength of this relationship.

Among the perceived barriers, physical exertion received the highest scores, consistent with previous research indicating that fatigue or the perceived difficulty of exercise discourages engagement^44,58–60. Other barriers, such as lack of time or access to facilities, varied across countries, reflecting cultural and infrastructural differences^61,62. Addressing these barriers through accessible sports facilities, structured programs, and education on long-term benefits may enhance students’ attitudes and participation in physical activity.

It is important to note that the self-reported PA data in this study showed high variability, as reflected by the large standard deviations. This variability limits the precision of interpreting the findings, since wide differences in reported activity levels may mask true patterns and reduce comparability with other studies. Such variability is common in self-reported PA research, where recall bias, social desirability, and individual interpretation of activity intensity can affect accuracy. Therefore, while the overall trends are informative, the results should be interpreted with caution.

Study strengths and limitations

This study has several strengths, including its relatively large sample size, the use of validated instruments, and its focus on an important population of future healthcare professionals. The comprehensive assessment of physical activity behavior, encompassing activity levels, knowledge, barriers, and social media use, is another strength. This study has several limitations that should be considered when interpreting the findings. First, the cross-sectional design restricts the ability to establish causal relationships. Second, the reliance on self-reported data introduces recall and social desirability bias, and no objective measures of PA (e.g., accelerometers) were used. Third, as the study was conducted at a single university using a census method, the generalizability of the findings to other settings may be limited. Fourth, the low response rate, primarily due to a substantial number of physiotherapy students being unavailable during the data collection period. Many were engaged in clinical internships at hospitals and clinics, which reduced their presence on campus and limited our access to them. Additionally, time constraints of the study timeline, along with other students being absent or on academic leave, contributed to the higher dropout rate. Finally, potential confounders such as BMI, health status, stress, and access to facilities were not accounted for, which may have influenced the observed associations.

Conclusion

This study highlights a significant gap in physiotherapy students’ knowledge of WHO physical activity recommendations, with very few able to correctly identify the recommended durations for moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity. As future health professionals, students need a solid understanding of these guidelines to effectively educate and guide patients. Strengthening knowledge-based training in the physiotherapy curriculum is therefore essential to ensure students can translate their own physical activity habits into evidence-based advice.

Despite generally moderate-to-high physical activity levels among students, no significant differences were observed by gender or academic year. Physical exertion was the most commonly perceived barrier, and social media dependence showed only a weak association with perceived barriers, suggesting minimal impact on actual activity. Overall, the findings emphasize the need for targeted educational interventions to improve knowledge of physical activity guidelines, alongside strategies to maintain and support regular engagement in physical activity among all students.

Future directions

Future research should explore strategies to improve physiotherapy students’ knowledge of WHO physical activity guidelines, including integrating structured educational modules or workshops into the curriculum. Larger, multi-center studies are recommended to confirm the patterns observed in physical activity levels, barriers, and social media use across diverse student populations. Longitudinal designs could assess how knowledge and activity habits evolve over the course of the program and identify critical periods for intervention. Additionally, qualitative studies may provide deeper insight into perceived barriers, motivational factors, and the role of social media in shaping attitudes toward exercise. Finally, intervention studies targeting both knowledge enhancement and behavior change could evaluate the effectiveness of combined educational and practical approaches in promoting consistent, evidence-based physical activity among physiotherapy students.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Abbreviations

WHO

World Health Organization

PA

Physical activity

EBBS

Exercise benefits and barriers scale

BFAS

Bergen Facebook addiction scale

IPAQ-SF

The international physical activity questionnaire—short form

MET

Metabolic equivalents of task

Author contributions

D.D.: Study design, conception, Supervision; Ab.C.: analysis, interpretation of data, study design, manuscript draft; Ai.C.: design, data gathering, data interpretation. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

Funding

This research received funding from TUBITAK; reference number 11; date 27/11/2023.

Data availability

Data are available from the corresponding authors on reasonable request.

Declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

All procedures were conducted following the Declaration of Helsinki (revised in 2013). The study was approved by the Üsküdar University Non-interventional Research Ethics Committee under reference number 11; date 27/11/2023.Informed consent was obtained from all subjects and/or their legal guardian(s).