An Evaluation of Physical Activity Levels amongst University Employees

Ayazullah Safi, Matthew Cole, Adam L. Kelly, Natalie C. Walker

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Approximately 60% of the world?s population do not meet the physical activity (PA) guidelines. Physical inactivity is increasing in occupations, with work-related health issues becoming more prevalent. University employees? work in a range of job roles and PA levels in this population is unclear. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate PA levels amongst university employees in a UK Higher Education institution. Four hundred employees (male = 131, female = 269) partook in this quantitative study and completed an online International Physical Activity Questionnaire Long Form (IPAQ-LF) to assess total moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and work-related MVPA. A Mann-Whitney U test examined differences in total MVPA and work-related MVPA between genders and a Kruskal-Wallis H test examined differences in total MVPA and work related MVPA between job roles. The findings showed that university employees engaged in a median of 330 minutes and 1770 METs of MVPA across all domains of IPAQ-LF. Further, the median time spent in total work PA was 30 minutes and 123 METs. There was a significant difference between genders, as males engaged in 150 minutes more total MVPA compared to females (p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in total MVPA and work-related MVPA across job roles (p > 0.05). Findings suggest that job role does not affect PA levels within university workplace, although they do propose that males engage in more MVPA compared to females. As a result of the subjective nature of this research, objective research is required to confirm current findings.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)158-171
    Number of pages14
    JournalAdvances in Physical Education
    Volume11
    Issue number02
    Publication statusPublished (VoR) - 1 May 2021

    Keywords

    • Employees Physical Activity Levels
    • Workplace Health and Well-Being
    • Sedentary Behaviour

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