Physical activity in teachers of Guapán Educational Unit in Azogues canton

Abstract

Introduction: Regular physical activity has a positive impact on health. Objectives: To establish the physical activity level of the Guapán Educational Unit teachers. August 2019 Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational research was carried out with the participation of 35 teachers who signed the informed consent. The GPAQ questionnaire developed by WHO for the surveillance of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases was applied. This tool gathers information about physical activity in three domains (at the workplace, for commuting, and in leisure time), as well as the sedentary behaviour. The physical activity quantification took place considering a regular day in the past week with the use of SPSS v.15 statistical software. The quantitative variables were stated as central tendency and dispersion measures, while qualitative variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages. Associated factors were analyzed using Spearman’s correlation. Results: Average age of 46.74 ± 10.24, female gender (62.9%), married marital status (54.3%). At the workplace, 40% reported moderate to intense physical activity but did not meet the number of days and hours set by the WHO. To move around, 60% walk or bike for at least 10 minutes, but daily. In leisure, 68.6% reported moderate or intense sports or fitness activity. The average sedentary time was 4 hours. 65.7% reported not performing physical activity due to lack of time. Conclusion: The Guapán Educational Unit teachers reported low levels of physical activity at the workplace and commuting domains, and moderate levels in the leisure time domains, with an average sedentary time of 4 hours. However, they indicated not engaging in physical activity due to lack of time. A timely intervention program is required to encompass the entire educational unit.