Abstract
BackgroundPhysical activity has been established as an important component to incorporate into a healthy lifestyle. Hospital-based staff are also threatened by the risks of sedentary lifestyles, despite their association with a healthcare environment. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of private hospital-based staff regarding physical activity in Johannesburg.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data were analysed with a combination of descriptive and inferential statistics. A p-value less than 0.05 was deemed statistically significant.ResultsA total number of 217 participants responded to the questionnaire. The majority of participants (n = 179; 82.49%) displayed excellent knowledge of physical activity, had a good attitude towards physical activity (n = 157; 72.35%) and displayed satisfactory practices (n = 137; 63.13%). Participants with the highest level of education had better mean knowledge, attitude and practice scores as opposed to those with lower levels of education. There was a statistically significant difference amongst staff categories in terms of knowledge (p = 0.004) and practice scores (p = 0.031). In addition, there was a statistically significant difference amongst different levels of education in terms of knowledge (p = 0.000), attitude (p = 0.02) and practice scores (p = 0.004).ConclusionStaff members who participated in the study displayed only satisfactory physical activity practices. The hospital’s employee wellness programme should establish appropriate strategies to improve staff practices of physical activity in order to promote health.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked physical inactivity as one of the leading risk factors for non-communicable diseases,[1] and estimates that 31% of the global healthy population does not fulfil the recommended physical activity requirement.[1,2] Regular and moderate-intensity physical activity offers significant health benefits,[3] including reduced disability and mortality, improvement in quality of life and enhanced psychological well-being.[4]
This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) of private hospitalbased staff regarding physical activity in Johannesburg
The majority of participants (82.49%) displayed excellent knowledge of physical activity, and 72.35% had a good attitude towards physical activity
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) has ranked physical inactivity as one of the leading risk factors for non-communicable diseases,[1] and estimates that 31% of the global healthy population does not fulfil the recommended physical activity requirement.[1,2] Regular and moderate-intensity physical activity offers significant health benefits,[3] including reduced disability and mortality, improvement in quality of life and enhanced psychological well-being.[4]. Recommendations and guidelines regarding the perceived benefits of physical activity have evolved drastically over the years, which includes the personal and environmental characteristics of the activity.[9] Despite efforts aimed at educating the public on the importance of physical activity, physical inactivity remains a public health concern.[7,10] This holds true especially for developing countries such as South Africa, which has a rapidly emerging non-communicable disease epidemic.[11,12] Determinants of physical activity are multidimensional and act as either http://www.safpj.co.za. Hospital-based staff are threatened by the risks of sedentary lifestyles, despite their association with a healthcare environment. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of private hospital-based staff regarding physical activity in Johannesburg
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: South African family practice : official journal of the South African Academy of Family Practice/Primary Care
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
