Physical Activity Status Among Women Referred to Health Centers in Izeh, Iran

Background: Over the past decades, numerous well-established studies have reported the benefits of physical activity including physical health, obesity prevention and psychosocial health. Despite all these advantages, many people still engage to little leisure-time physical activity. Objectives: The present study focused on the status of physical activity among women referred to three health centers on the basis of the trans theoretical model. Patients and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with 310 randomly selected females referred to health centers in Izeh, Iran, in 2014. To collect data, a valid and reliable (content validity index (CVI) = 0.87, content validity ratio (CVR) = 0.9 and Cronbach’s alpha level = 0.87) physical activity questionnaire was used. It included items on self-efficacy, benefits, processes of change, and barriers. To analyze the data, statistical tests including t-test, analysis of variance, chi-squared and correlation were implemented using SPSS 16 software. Results with a P < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: More than 50% of the sample population was at the pre-contemplation stage. The mean age of females in this study was 28.7 ± 6.61. The mean scores of constructs of the model among females in this study showed that there was a non-significant relationship in performing physical activities and females’ jobs (Housewife, practitioner) and their education level and also their husbands (P > 0.05). Except for the structure of the barriers, women who had employed husbands reported more barriers to do physical activity (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Given the importance of physical activity, and given that most women are at the pre-contemplation stage of the trans theoretical model, it seems necessary to devise educational interventional plans for the promotion of physical activities among women referred to health centers.