Physical activity status and its determinants among public health care doctors in tertiary care public sector Hospitals in Chandigarh, India

Dr Anjali Chauhan; Dr Madhu Gupta; Dr JS Thakur; Dr Binod Patro; Dr. Omesh Kumar Bharti

Volume : VI, Issue : VII, July - 2016

Physical activity status and its determinants among public health care doctors in tertiary care public sector Hospitals in Chandigarh, India

Dr Anjali Chauhan, Dr Madhu Gupta, Dr Js Thakur, Dr Binod Patro, Dr. Omesh Kumar Bharti

Abstract :

 Background: “Healthy mind resides in the healthy body” is a popular dictum, which is more relevant in today’s modern sedentary lifestyle of human beings .The International comparisons shows that level of low physical activity is one of the major independent factors of chronic diseases .The doctor’s occupation is one of the time demanding, left them with a little spare time for physical activities. Consequently, monitoring physical activity levels in the society viz e viz the doctors could provide an insight in estimating the vulnerability towards lifestyle diseases. Objective: To assess the physical activity status among public sector doctors in Chandigarh and to identify various patterns, motivators and limiting factors of doctor’s engagement into physical activities.Method: A self–administered International Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ) was administered in a random sample of 115 public sector doctors in the city of Chandigarh.Results:In the study group 56% of the doctors did moderate levels, 26.2% low levels and 17.8% high levels of physical activity (p=0.004). More male doctors (27.6%) reported vigorous activity as compared to female doctors. The doctors in elderly age groups (70%) reported moderate activity whereas vigorous activity was higher among younger doctors (23.9%). During the leisure time, higher number of doctors reported low (64.5%) activity. Doctors spent most of their leisure time in studying medical literature (57.9%). Major motivator to do physical activity was fitness (72%) and the main limitation felt was lack of time (73.8%).Conclusions:This study indicates common reason that motivated doctors to engage into physical activity were fitness, weight reduction and maintaining good health.