ROLE OF PSYCHOSOCIAL PREDICTORS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG HEALTHCARE WORKERS

Abstract

Purpose: Physical activity is an important because of the numerous beneficial effects it has on mental, physical and emotional health of an individual. The purpose ofthis study is to understand the psychosocial predictors influencing the physical activity and quality of life (QOL) of healthcare workers so that important measures can be taken in future to enhance the quality of life and overall health of healthcare workers. Methodology & Design Total 151 healthcare adults working at Medicare cardiac and General hospital, Karachi participated in this study. The study is of Quantitative type. The participants were requested to complete the questionnaire regarding different psychosocial variables including social support, perceive stress and scales to assess their physical activity and quality of life according to these variables. Findings According to the findings of this study, stress played a significant role in influencing one's physical activity, social support directly influences the physical activity and therefore, improves the quality of life. However, according to the research of healthcare workers at Medicare Hospital Karachi, physical activity does not directly relates with the quality of life. The only significant relationship in this study is the effect of social support and stress on physical activity. Limitations The study had following limitations: 1. Time constraint (Only 3 months). 2. Difficulty in accessing healthcare workers due to their rotating shifts and busy schedules especially due to COVID-19 pandemic. 3. Limited budget. 4. Due to the pandemic lockdown, the study was limited for healthcare professionals working at Medicare Hospital only. Recommendations According to the findings of this study, it is recommended that if healthcare workers have good social support from their friends and family, they actively participate in physical activity. The level of stress they face on regular basis have a great impact on their capability to perform activities to stay fit. This recommends them to manage stress and take measures accordingly in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This will not only enhance their performance in day to day work activities but will also help in effective problem solving and patient handling.