Attitude of Nurses toward their Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is the ability to perform tasks efficiently and effectively and can reduce diseases caused by immobility. Positive attitude toward physical fitness in nurses is associated with improved self-esteem, enhanced work quality, reduced burnout and decreased environmental stressors. The present study aimed to evaluate the attitude of nurses in Zare Hospital of Sari, Iran toward their physical fitness. This descriptive and cross-sectional research was conducted on all nurses working in Zare Hospital in 2015, who were selected via census sampling. Data were collected using demographic characteristics questionnaire and physical self-description questionnaire (PSDQ). In addition, data analysis was performed in SPSS version 20 using descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test). In this study, 34% of the nurses had a good attitude toward their physical fitness while 59.4% and 6.6% of the subjects had a moderate and poor attitude in this regard, respectively. According to the results, no significant difference was observed between the attitude of male and female nurses toward physical fitness (P=0.103). In this respect, the only significant difference between the male and female attitude was related to the subscale of physical activity (P=0.003). Moreover, no significant difference was observed between nurses with various work experiences and in different age groups regarding the attitude toward physical fitness. In general, the attitude of the participants was reported to be at a moderate level. Considering the special role of nurses in the healthcare system of the country, the necessary incentives and facilities could be provided to nurses in order to participate in physical activities so that their spiritual and physical health could be improved.