Stages of change for regular physical activity among government employees

Problem statement: Changes in lifestyle have led to the rising rate of nutrition-related chronic diseases in Malaysia. Purpose: A cross-sectional study was conducted to identify demographic characteristics and lipid profile by individuals' readiness for regular physical activity. Approach:A total of 675 employees from five government agencies in Putrajaya were selected using multi-stage random sampling.Results: The majority of the participants (46.4%)considered themselves to be physically active. There was no significant association between stages of change and demographic factors, except gender. The adjusted mean body mass index for the Precontemplation/ Contemplation group (27.12±0.27 kg/m^sup 2^) was significantly higher than that of the Preparation/Action group (25.92±0.37 kg/m2) and the Maintenance group (24.71±0.52 kg/m^sup 2^) [F= 9.60; p<0.001]. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in adjusted mean waist circumference [F= 11.49; p<0.001], waist-to-hip ratio [F= 8.01; p<0.001], HDL cholesterol [F= 11.66, p<0.001] and triglycerides [F= 6.88; p<0.001] between stages of change groups.Conclusions: Gender may play a vital role towards the intention to engage in regular physical activity. Furthermore, anthropometric and some lipid parameters (HDL cholesterol and triglycerides) differ significantly among stages of change groups.

Actions (login required)

View Item