Physical Activity Status of Employees of Governmental Departments in Hamadan, Iran: An Application of the Transtheoretical Model

Lack of physical activity is the fourth common cause of human death. Given the increased rate of sedentary life style among employees, the aim of this study was to evaluate physical activity status of governmental employees in changing stage based on the transtheoretical model (TTM) in Hamadan, Iran, in 2014.
This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 1200 government employees. The study subjects were selected using proportional stratified random sampling. Data collection was performed using a three-section questionnaire containing demographic characteristics, Short Questionnaire to Assess Health-Enhancing Physical Activity (SQUASH), and the five-part algorithm of Marcus et al. Data were analyzed using logistic and linear regression, chi-square, t-test, and ANOVA in SPSS software.
Findings: The mean age of the participants was 38.12 ± 8.04. About half of the employees were in the preparatory stage of TTM. Moreover, 49.2% and 50.8% of the subjects were classified as active and inactive, respectively. There was significant association between physical activity status and change stages of exercise. The associations between physical activity status and age, gender, work experience, education, and marital status were also significant (P Since half of the employees were inactive and their physical activity status was not favorable, the results of this study can be utilized by health promotion planners to design and implement appropriate intervention strategies to improve the physical activity status of employees, specifically in the workplace.