Promoting Physical Activity and Health in the Workplace: A Qualitative Study among University Workers, Spain

Antonio Jesús Casimiro-Andújar, Juan Carlos Checa, María-Jesús Lirola () and Eva Artés-Rodríguez
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Antonio Jesús Casimiro-Andújar: Department of Education, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Juan Carlos Checa: Department of Geography, History and Humanities, Faculty of Humanities, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
María-Jesús Lirola: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Eva Artés-Rodríguez: Area of Statistics and Operative Research, Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: The social changes we have been experiencing in recent years are generating anxiety that, together with sedentary lifestyles and poor health habits, are leading to premature ageing of society, in addition to the high rates of obesity and associated morbidity. In order to improve the lifestyles of the university community, the objective of this research project was the implementation of the UAL Activa programme based on physical activity. The beneficiaries were UAL staff from different sections, a total of 68 participants aged between 28 and 61 years ( M age = 49.36). Additionally, a total of 12 final year students of the degree in physical activity and sport sciences were responsible for designing and developing the exercise tasks. In-depth interviews were held with the participants of this project about the different benefits that their participation had brought them. The results obtained from the analysis with Nvivo v.10. showed five thematic blocks on the perceived improvements in physical fitness, physical condition, mood and emotional state, assessment of the new lifestyle, and social relations. In conclusion, the benefits of physical activity and the need to continue implementing action and intervention plans to encourage and promote its practice in all sectors of the population were highlighted.

Keywords: health promotion; UAL Activa; sedentary lifestyle; healthy habits (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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