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Abstract Background Given the challenge of chronic lifestyle diseases, the shift in healthcare focus to primary care and recognised importance of a preventive approach to health, including exercise prescription, the embedding of related learning in healthcare professional programmes is critical. Methods In response to these contemporary demands, a complex curriculum development project was undertaken at University College Dublin, employing a four dimensional curriculum framework for the development of health professional curricula, that focused on (1) future orientation of healthcare practices (the why?), (2) defining capabilities of graduates (the what?), (3) teaching, learning and assessment (the how?) and (4) organisation/institution delivery (the where)? The process was informed by latest exercise, health promotion, educational and health policy literature, alongside engagement with multiple internal university and external community stakeholders. Results Having sufficient clinical education opportunity for translating exercise theory into practice was identified as a key need (the Why?). Development of strategies for health promotion and design and delivery of evidence based exercise programmes with inter-professional and inter-sectoral network building were some of the graduate capabilities identified as being critically important. (the what?) The resultant UCD Physio Hub model of clinical education combines ‘on campus’ and ‘community outreach’ activity to facilitate inter-sectoral ‘real world’ experiential student learning in health promotion and exercise prescription for both healthy and clinical populations. Underpinned by social constructivist educational theory, students are encouraged to be creative and to collaborate in responding to identified health needs of specific community groups by designing and delivering community services. (the how?) In developing new student learning opportunities to enhance curriculum, a supportive organisational culture and context was critical with UCD having excellent exercise infrastructure and the Physio Hub project aligning with a community engagement ethos articulated in the university’s strategy. (the where?) Conclusion This paper provides an overview of Physio Hub, its services, educational practices and translational research ethos, all of which are combined to deliver a rich exercise and health promotion learning experience. Although developed for physiotherapy in this instance, the curriculum process and resultant education model could be applied across medical and other health professional programmes and to facilitate interdisciplinary learning.

Little is known about the association between positive job characteristics of older workers and the co-occurrence of protective health behaviours. This study aims to investigate the association between perceived psychosocial job characteristics and the adoption of protective health behaviours. A population-based cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 1025 males and females (age-range 50–69-years) attending a primary healthcare clinic. Perceived job characteristics (job demands: quantitative and cognitive demands; resources: possibility for development and influence at work) were determined using the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire. Each scale is presented in tertiles. Protective health behaviours were; consumption of five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day, moderate alcohol, non/ex-smoker, and high and moderate physical activity. Each participant was scored 0–4 protective health behaviours. The majority of the sample had three protective health behaviours. Higher levels of influence at work and cognitive demands were associated with higher self-reported physical activity, but not with any number of protective health behaviours. Conversely, higher quantitative and higher cognitive demands were associated with reporting any number of protective health behaviours or above average number of protective health behaviours respectively. The findings on protective health behaviours were inconsistent in relation to the different measures of perceived psychosocial job characteristics and were largely confined to physical activity and diet.