| dc.description.abstract | Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the foremost
cause of deaths globally. Over three quarters of
CVD deaths occur in low and middle-income
countries. Bankers are known to have a sedentary
lifestyle with physical inactivity which is a
known risk factor for CVDs. The objective of the
study was to assess the level of physical activity
of government bankers. A descriptive cross sectional
study was carried out in 25 selected
branches of a government bank in Western
Province, Sri Lanka. Managerial and officer
grade participants were recruited through simple
random sampling. Level of physical activity was
assessed using an interviewer - administered
structured questionnaire. Physical activities were
categorized as strenuous (brisk walking, jogging)
and mild to moderate (house work, walking,
gardening). Strenuous exercise of more than 2
hours per week and mild to moderate exercise of
more than 18 hours per week were considered as
satisfactory. Data were collected from 403 bankers,
males (n=113; 28%) and females (n=290; 72.0%)
belonging to 25-45 age group. Only 212 (52.6%)
have engaged in satisfactory level of physical
activity. Among them, 49 have been involved in
strenuous physical activity but have failed to show
any statistically significant association with age
(p=0.446), gender (p=0.519) or with occupational
status (p=0.156). 163 (40.4%) were involved in
mild to moderate physical activity, the majority
were females (n=127) and statistically significant
association was shown with gender (p=0.028).
In conclusion, there is a need to implement life
style changes in government bankers in Western
Province to sustain a satisfactory level of physical
activity. | en_US |
