Bidirectional associations between emergency nurses' occupational and leisure physical activity: An observational...

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Sports Science
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Emergency nursing is physically demanding, but nurses often fall short of physical activity guidelines.
• Existing interventions to boost nurses' physical activity have shown limited success, potentially overlooking occupational activity.
• Understanding the interplay between work and leisure physical activity is crucial for effective health promotion in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the bidirectional relationship between emergency nurses' occupational physical activity and their leisure-time physical activity on work days.
• To explore how activity patterns during work influence activity levels during non-work hours, and vice versa.

Main Methods:

• 49 emergency nurses (44 female, 5 male) participated, wearing ActiGraph accelerometers and completing diaries for up to four weeks.
• 41 nurses also wore an activPAL inclinometer to assess postural positions and activity.
• Multi-level analyses were used to examine associations between work and leisure activity levels.

Main Results:

• Higher moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity before a morning shift correlated with increased sedentary time and reduced physical activity during work.
• Increased occupational stepping time was linked to more sitting, standing, and stepping time after shifts.
• These findings highlight a complex interplay between work-related and leisure-time physical activities.

Conclusions:

• Interventions should consider the bidirectional influence of occupational and leisure physical activity in emergency nurses.
• Strategies may need to focus on facilitating post-shift recovery and balancing demands on nurses' leisure time.
• Future research should explore timing and intensity of physical activity interventions for this high-demand profession.