A Study to Determine Levels of Physical Activity among Health Care Professionals in Bangalore – A Survey

Introduction Physical activity (PA) is essential for maintaining good health. One of the main risk factors for chronic illnesses, non- communicable diseases (NCDs), overweight, and obesity is physical inactivity. Physical inactivity contributes to mortality and disability since it has been associated with an increased incidence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). According to data from research on medical professionals, the prevalence of PI varies between 34.8% and 87.8%. To quantify many aspects of physical activity, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was created in 1997 as a monitoring tool. To express the intensity and energy expenditure of activities in a way that is comparable among people of different weights, the metabolic equivalent task (MET) is utilised. Our goal was to assess the level of Physical Activity among the healthcare professionals working in a tertiary facility in Bangalore, India.  Methods Using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long form (IPAQ-LF), a survey study was conducted. The study comprised 299 young adults between the ages of 25 and 45. The total MET min of activity for each domain was added to determine the levels of physical activity. Following that, the calculated activity levels were categorised as low, moderate, or high.  Results A total of 299 healthcare professionals were recruited, comprising 33.4% allied health care workers, 22.4% nurses, 14% physicians and 30.1% physiotherapist. Means age was 28.62, 14%, 32%, 54% of the healthcare professionals had low, moderate or high physical activity levels respectively.  Conclusion Among the four groups of HCPs, Nurses and Physiotherapists generally show better physical activity levels when compared to the other groups. Physiotherapists (35.6%) have higher percentages with a BMI of 25 or greater were physically active. These HCPs appear to be at risk for NCDs based on their low PA levels. There is an urgent need to establish programs to increase PA among HCPs.