Assessment of the Health-Related Fitness among Healthcare Professionals

Abstract

Background: Physical inactivity's prevalence is alarming increasing worldwide leading to variousnon-communicable diseases. Studies highlight disparities in activity levels among people with occupational variations. Addressing fitness is essential for mitigating occupational health issues and enhancing overall productivity among medical professionals. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in multiple tertiary care facilities. A total of 78 participants were recruited using the non-probability convenience sampling technique. Participants performed four different assessments in the following order: (i) BMI by weight and height measurements (ii) Cardiorespiratory endurance by 3 minutes step-test (iii) Muscular endurance by abdominal curl up and (iv) Flexibility by shoulder scratch test and sit and reach test, the session lasted for approximately 20 minutes, with 3 minutes of resting period between exercises. The analysis was performed using SPSS V.21. Results: The results show an average age of 28 years for the participants. The mean Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) was 1375.98 kcal. The Dietary Calorie Restriction (DCR) was 1907.32 kcal. (RAPA) shows that 34% of n=78 is mildly active which results in very good muscular endurance of 29.5% and excellent VO2 Max of 59%. Flexibility was excellent with 40-48%. Conclusion: The study reveals notable physical fitness among healthcare professionals, highlighting positive outcomes in key parameters such as BMR, DCR, muscular endurance, flexibility, and VO2max. Keywords: Basal Metabolism, Body Composition, Comorbidity, Exercise, Physical Activity.