Suboptimal Physical Activity In Healthcare Personnel: National Health Interview Survey 2018 Data

Physical inactivity costs $117 billion a year in healthcare costs and is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Furthermore, being inactive is one major contributor to the increase in obesity prevalence, which costs the US $173 billion annually. Despite being aware of the adverse health consequences associated with obesity and physical inactivity, healthcare personnel, who have the responsibility of safeguarding the well-being of society, also exhibit surprisingly elevated rates of obesity and inactivity. Healthcare personnel have the capacity to develop equitable and inclusive workplace interventions aimed at fostering physical activity (PA), mitigating obesity, and enhancing health outcomes. To maintain a workforce that is both productive and healthy, it is imperative for healthcare organizations and personnel to prioritize the promotion of PA to reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity within the workplace. PURPOSE: To investigate the extent of PA engagement among healthcare personnel and analyze the variations in adherence to national PA requirements based on different healthcare occupations. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis included 543 healthcare providers and medical support staff from the 2018 National Health Interview Survey Sample Adult Data. This secondary data analysis included healthcare personnel with verified PA data and no missing covariate variables. RESULTS: Adjusted differences in self-reported PA by occupational category suggested medical support staff had ~15 minutes more intense activity per week than healthcare providers (p = 0.000). Medical support staff spent ~10 minutes more each week on light-to-moderate activities than healthcare providers (p = 0.000). Particularly, 54.4% of healthcare providers and 55.8% of medical support staff met the weekly vigorous activity requirement. Only 6.6% of healthcare providers and 13.5% of medical support staff met the weekly light-to-moderate activity criteria (p = 0.020). CONCLUSION: Because healthcare personnel are expected to know the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, especially regular PA, healthcare organizations and these professional categories must strive to be societal exemplars for recommended PA levels.