Original scientific paper
Prevalence of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Among Police Officers in Croatia: Population-Based Cross ̶ Sectional Study
Damir Lauš
; Bjelovar University of Applied Sciences, Bjelovar, Croatia
Danijel Jurakić
orcid.org/0000-0002-4861-4066
; Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Marijan Jozić
orcid.org/0000-0002-2146-0423
; Police College, Police Academy, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of physical activity and sedentary behaviour among police officers in Croatia, i.e. to determine: a) proportion of inactive; b) distribution of physical activity across domains of everyday life (work, transport, and leisure time); c) time spent in sedentary behaviour of police officers and to determine differences in above-mentioned variables among members of different organisational police units (uniformed, traffic and criminal police). The sample was comprised of 1820 randomly selected male police officers in the Republic of Croatia. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). The proportion of inactive police officers was 31% whereat the highest proportion of inactive participant was among members of the traffic police (41%). The analysis of domain-specific physical activity showed significant differences among various groups of police officers in all physical activity domains as well as in total physical activity. The median of total physical activity of police officers was 3360 MET-min/week whereat members of uniformed police reported the highest level of physical activity (3840,0 MET-min/week) and members of traffic police reported the lowest level physical activity (2640,0 MET-min/week). The median of sedentary behaviour among police officers was 6 hours a day in sedentary behaviour whereat the highest median was determined for members of criminal police (7 hours a day). To conclude, health promotion and work ability intervention for police officers should be directed towards the promotion of physical activity among inactive individuals, especially members of the traffic police and reducing sedentary behaviour of all police officers with emphases on members of criminal police.
Keywords
police officers; physical activity; exercise; GPAQ; health.
Hrčak ID:
237953
URI
Publication date:
12.5.2020.
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