Self Reported Perceptions of Physical Demands on Athletic Training Students

Context: According to the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) Standards for the Accreditation of Entry-Level Athletic Training Education Programs, athletic training students (ATSs) must complete clinical experiences that provide opportunities to integrate cognitive function, psychomotor skills, and affective competence as a part of their coursework. ¹ These experiences expose students to the physical demands of the profession, and it is these activities that differentiate the demands of athletic training from other academic majors.

Objectives: To assess the self-reported perceptions of ATSs regarding the physical demands of their chosen major and their participation in sport and non-sport leisure activities.

Design: Descriptive research design.

Setting: Nine undergraduate Athletic Training Education Programs within the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) District 10.

Subjects: 112 undergraduate athletic training students enrolled in Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) accredited programs during the 2005–2006 academic year.

Main outcome measures: Respondents completed a modified form of the Baecke Questionnaire of Habitual Physical Activity² which subjectively measured the student's reported 1) school related activity; 2) participation in sport activity and 3) participation in non-sport leisure activity.

Results: The index for “school related activity” indicated that athletic training students perceived their chosen major as physically demanding. However, the indices for participation in sport and non-sport leisure activity were relatively low.

Conclusions: In spite of the physical requirements of the athletic training curriculum, athletic training student's relatively low rate of participation in sport and non-sport leisure time activity may have future health implications.