Background: To support the goals of Healthy People 2010, health professionals have been encouraged to discuss healthy lifestyle behaviors with their patients. Health professionals who engage in health promoting behaviors themselves are more likely to initiate these discussions with their patients, and be credible role-models for healthy behaviors. Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the personal health behaviors and role-modeling attitudes of physical therapists and student physical therapists, and to examine the relationship between role-modeling attitudes and personal health behaviors. Design: This study was a cross-sectional survey. Methods: A national sample of 405 physical therapists and 329 student physical therapists participated in the survey. The survey collected sociodemographic information, measured attitudes towards role-modeling and measured subjects’ self-reported stage of change for health behaviors related to physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, abstention from smoking, and maintenance of a healthy weight. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to examine differences between physical therapists and student physical therapists in personal health behaviors and role-modeling attitudes. Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to examine differences in role-modeling attitudes based on stage of change for each of the four health behaviors. Results: A majority of study subjects reported they engage in regular physical activity, eat adequate servings of fruit and vegetables, do not smoke, and maintain a healthy weight. There were no statistically significant differences between physical therapists and student physical therapists in the four health behaviors, but there were statistically significant differences in a number of role-modeling attitudes. Student physical therapists were more likely to believe that role-modeling is a powerful teaching tool, that physical therapist professionals should practice what they preach, that physical activity is a desirable behavior, and that physical therapist professionals should role-model the behaviors of non-smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight. Role-modeling attitudes differed among stage of change groups for regular physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and healthy weight management. Conclusions: Physical therapists and student physical therapists engage in the health-promoting behaviors of regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, eating fruits and vegetables, and abstaining from smoking at similarly high rates but differ in attitudes towards the need to role-model healthy behaviors. Attitudes towards the need to role-model are associated with personal health behaviors.
