| dc.description.abstract | Background and Purpose: There is a growing concern about decline in physical activity (PA) worldwide, also among healthcare workers who are supposedly role models to patients. Many African countries are disproportionally burdened by non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Active participation of healthcare workers in PA is seen as important for promoting a healthy lifestyle among the general population. In Nigeria, NCDs are becoming the leading cause of morbidity and installing PA habits could significantly avert the deleterious health consequences and burden of NCDs and secure a healthy workforce whose active and non-sedentary lifestyles could be emulated by patients attending healthcare facilities. The present study assessed Nigerian healthcare workers’ participation in PA, identified barriers associated with their participation in PA, as well as examining their awareness about PA and their practices of promoting PA to their patients.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), Uyo, Nigeria. Data were collected using a modified version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form (IPAQ-LF). Data analyses included Chi-square tests for categorical data, and multivariate logistic regression for association between sociodemographic characteristics and awareness statement (My kind of work compels me to be physically inactive) which was recoded into a dichotomic variable.
Results: A total of 334 healthcare workers (93% of the hospital population) responded (44.3% men, 55.7% women). Overall, 68.9% of healthcare workers were categorized as sufficiently physically active (with a median 3120MET-min/week) when PA was assessed traditionally (as moderate + vigorous intensity PA). When PA was calculated as all domains combined as many as 92.2%(3180MET-min/week) of healthcare workers had an adequate PA according to World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. There was a significant difference in total PA between the two methods of analyzing the data. Almost 90% were aware that PA differs in intensity and is classified low, moderate, or vigorous PA, respectively. About 90% prescribed or recommended PA to patients. When assessed traditionally, the level of PA was significantly associated with age and gender. Men were more active than women and those older than 40 years were more active than those under 40 years. Workload and lack of time constitute major barriers affecting healthcare workers participation in PA.
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that a majority of healthcare workers at UUTH, Uyo – Nigeria participate in adequate PA on a weekly basis and, consequently, few were inactive when total PA was calculated as the sum of all domains in the IPAQ-LF. That prevalence was much higher when total activity was calculated as the sum of moderate plus vigorous intensity PA. The findings suggest that further research should investigate whether the traditional methods of analyzing data from the IPAQ-LF might systematically underestimate PA. | |