PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES OF HEALTHAND FITNESS INSTRUCTORS: DO THEY MATCH THE EUROPEAN STANDARD

摘要

The aim of this study was to test professional competencies of the sample of health and fitness instructors (HFIs) according to EuropeActive’s educational standards at level 3 referenced to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and to explore the associations between the formal education of HFIs and their current competencies. The core knowledge (CK) of 155 HFIs and the specific knowledge (SK) of 54 fitness instructors (FIs) and 35 group fitness instructors (GFIs) were analysed. In addition, 43 FIs and 35 GFIs underwent an examination of their practical skills. Only 11 (7.1%) of the HFIs met the requirements for the CK. We found no significant differences by age, education, type of employment, or professional experience for the CK test. No FIs passed the test for SK. Only 10 (15.6%) of the GFIs passed the test for SK. However, adequate practical instruction skills were found for the FIs (n=29, 70.7%), as well as for the GFIs (n=31, 91.2%). Only three HFIs passed the overall examination for the educational standards at EQF-level 3. The results highlight the importance of testing the competencies of HFIs in other European countries and of promoting the need for lifelong learning for HFIs. The competencies of HFIs are an important source of trust for healthcare providers and other sector stakeholders implementing the strategy for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.