Physical activity levels and sedentary behavior among rehabilitation professionals in Bangladesh

Physical activity is central to chronic disease prevention and rehabilitation practice. Rehabilitation professionals are both providers and promoters of physical activity; however, limited evidence exists regarding their own activity patterns and sedentary behavior in Bangladesh. This study aimed to assess the level and domain-specific patterns of physical activity among rehabilitation professionals and to examine associations with selected socio-demographic and health-related variables. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 231 rehabilitation professionals in Bangladesh using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Long Form (IPAQ-LF). Data were collected through face-to-face and online questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and exploratory bivariate associations were examined using chi-square (χ²) tests with Cramer’s V to assess effect size. The mean age of participants was 32.3 ± 5.8 years. According to the standard IPAQ classification, 49.8% were categorized as having high physical activity, 29.4% moderate, and 20.8% low. Occupational and transport-related activities contributed most to total physical activity, whereas structured leisure-time activity was comparatively limited. Sedentary behavior was highly prevalent, with 94.4% reporting sitting during the previous week, most commonly for 1–3 h per day. Age was significantly associated with disease status (χ² = 30.600, p < 0.001), and gender was associated with motor vehicle travel frequency (χ² = 11.477, p = 0.009). Additional exploratory analyses showed that gender was associated with work-related walking and vigorous leisure activity, profession was associated with walking at least 10 min, and self-rated health was associated with vigorous leisure activity. No significant association was observed between BMI category and disease status. Rehabilitation professionals demonstrated substantial occupational physical activity alongside considerable sedentary exposure, reflecting a mixed behavioral profile rather than a uniformly high level of protective activity. The findings highlight the need for occupational health strategies that address both structured physical activity engagement and prolonged sitting within this professional group.