Nurses' physical activity exploratory study: Caring for you so you can care for others

Area of Science:

• Nursing and Healthcare
• Occupational Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Nurses experience significant occupational stress impacting their well-being and patient care.
• Identifying effective stress management techniques is crucial for nurses.
• Physical activity (PA) is known to benefit general populations, but its specific role for nurses needs examination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between physical activity levels and nurses' physical, mental, and occupational health.
• To explore how different intensities of PA relate to health outcomes in nurses.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 62 nurses completed assessments of anthropometrics, demographics, and health domains.
• Pearson correlations were used to analyze relationships between PA and various health measures.
• Comparisons were made between active and inactive nurses regarding health outcomes.

Main Results:

• A significant negative correlation was observed between moderate-to-vigorous PA and fatigue (r = -0.27, p < 0.05).
• Positive associations were found between light-intensity PA and mental health (r = 0.40, p < 0.001).
• Moderate-intensity PA also showed a positive relationship with mental health (r = 0.30, p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Physical activity demonstrates potential health benefits for nurses, including reduced fatigue and improved mental health.
• The findings support the need for PA interventions tailored to nurses to optimize their physical, mental, and occupational health.
• Enhancing PA among nurses may contribute to improved patient care and safety.