Factors Affecting Dietary Intake and Physical Activities of Primary Health Care Workers in Nasarawa State Nigeria

Abstract

This study adopted a cross-sectional study design and deployed a quantitative methodology to assess the factors affecting dietary intake and physical activities in Nasarawa state. The questionnaire was adapted as an instrument for data collection. 400 respondents were sampled through a multistage sampling technique and 300 were interviewed with the aid of the epi-info mobile data collection tool. Data from the field survey were presented in frequency and simple percentages informed by tables and charts. The study reveals that Location and Level of income are some of the basic factors affecting dietary intake and physical exercise among Primary Health Care workers in Nasarawa state however, it was also observed that income and location do not necessarily affect dietary intake and physical exercise all the time, but motivation could also play a role most especially in maintaining good physical activity. The study also reveals that PHC staff in Nasarawa state may be aware of their daily exercise and diet needs theoretically but in practice, they don’t “practice what they preach”. It was concluded that Primary health care workers in Nasarawa state maintain a poor level of diet and physical activities, dietary intake and physical activities affect the performance of PHC staff, and PHC workers don’t practice and maintain good diet and physical activity habits, there is a need for promotion of health education activities related to diet and physical activities at PHC level across the state to inspire and motivate PHC staff to take up healthy diet and exercise habit. Keywords: Affect, Dietary, Exercise, Habit, Healthy, Intake, Physical, study, Planned, Performance.