Physical activity among employee women based on transtheoretical model

INTRODUCTION: Today, many jobs are associated with the inactivity or sedentary lifestyle. Employees’ health will be affected by their depriving of the benefits of physical activity (PA). Therefore, the present study was undertaken to determine the PA among employee women in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences based on the transtheoretical model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study has been performed in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences employee women (2013). A convenience sample of 100 women was selected. Data were collected by validated and reliable questionnaire in three parts (demographics information, PA scale, and TTM constructs). Data were analyzed by SPSS SPSS (version 16.0; SPSS, IBM, Inc, Chicago, IL, USA) and descriptive and analytical statistics such as ANOVA and independent t-test were used. A two-tailed P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean of PA was 21.17 ± 27.30 min in a day. Weekly heavy, moderate, and light exercise mean was 0.72 ± 1.81, 0.89 ± 1.87 and 0.57 ± 1.57 days, respectively. In this study, 26% of women were in contemplation, 22% in contemplation, 20% in preparation, 13% in action, and 19% in the maintenance stage. Furthermore, there were significant differences between consciousness raising, dramatic relief, counter-conditioning, stimulus control, helping relationships, reinforcement management, and self-liberation with stages of change constructs. CONCLUSION: Because of a significant relationship between cognitive and behavioral processes and PA in this group, designing and implementing an educational program based on the transtheoretical model may be useful in promoting PA of a female employee.