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A Study on Gender Differences in Influencing Factors of Office Workers' Physical Activity

Article information

Res Community Public Health Nurs. 2013;24(3):273-281
Publication date (electronic) : 2013 September 30
doi : https://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2013.24.3.273
Duck Hee Chae1, Su Hee Kim2, Chung Yul Lee3
1College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
2Graduate School, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
3College of Nursing·Nursing Policy Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
Corresponding author: Kim, Su Hee. College of Nursing, Yonsei University, 50 Yonse-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea. Tel: +82-2-2228-3308, Fax: +82-2-392-5440, shkim8312@gmail.com
Received 2013 April 01; Accepted 2013 August 21.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine gender differences in effects of self-efficacy, exercise benefits and barriers, and demographic factors on the physical activity.

Methods

Seventy sedentary office workers, 35 male and 35 female, from a major airline company, completed a questionnaire from March 28 to April 5, 2012. Steps and body mass indices were measured using a CW-700/701 (Yamax) pedometer and Inbody 720 (Biospace), respectively. Data were analyzed using t-test, χ2-test, multiple linear regression, and simultaneous quantile regression.

Results

For male workers, exercise self-efficacy had a significant effect on physical activity, but only when respondents were at 10%(3,431 steps/day, p=.018) and 25%(4,652 steps/day, p=.044) of the physical activity distribution. For female workers, marital status was significantly related to physical activity, but only when respondents were at 10% (3,537 steps/day, p=.013) and 25%(3,862 steps/day, p=.014) of the physical activity distribution.

Conclusion

Quantile regression highlights the heterogeneous effect of physical activity determinants among office workers. Therefore intervention strategies for increasing physical activity should be tailed to genders as well as physical activity levels.

Keywords: Physical activity; Workers; Gender; Regression

Notes

This research was supported by the faculty-student research grant funded by the Nursing Policy Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Nursing.

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Article information Continued

© 2013 Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Funded by : Nursing Policy Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Nursing

Table 1

Demographic, Physical and Psychosocial Characteristics of Male and Female Office Workers

Table 1

PEH=previous exercise habit; MHI=monthly household income; BMI=body mass index.

Table 2

Male Worker's Quantile Regression Results by Daily Steps

Table 2

BMI=body mass index; EBB=exercise benefits/barriers; ESE=exercise self-efficacy.

*p<.05.

Table 3

Female Worker's Quantile Regression Results by Daily Steps

Table 3

BMI=body mass index; EBB=exercise benefits/barriers; ESE=exercise self-efficacy.

*p<.05.