Faculty of Science, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, Canada.
Faculty of Allied Health, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait.
Qual Life Res. 2021 May;30(5):1365-1377. doi: 10.1007/s11136-020-02741-w. Epub 2021 Jan 14.
This study aimed to explore gender differences among sedentary occupation workers with regard to their quality of life (QoL), physical activity, and risk for high blood pressure, and to identify factors associated with QoL.
A convenience sample of 2562 employees from randomly selected ten ministries in Kuwait completed self-administered questionnaires. Collected data included employees' socio-demographic characteristics, levels of QoL (using World Health Organization QoL-Brief tool), and physical activity (using the New Zealand Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form), and anthropometric measures of weight, height, and blood pressure. Multinomial regression analysis, Chi-square, ANOVA, and student's t tests were implemented. A p value of 0.05 was considered significant.
Participants' mean age was 35.3 years. QoL mean scores were total QoL (74.7), physical health (81.1), psychological health (75.4), social relationship (71.1), and environment (70.8). Females showed worse level of QoL, better physical activity, and higher prevalence of hypertension relative to males. Multinomial regression analysis revealed that female gender, low educational attainability, poor income, high job ranks, shorter working years, obesity, physical inactivity, hypertension, or having at least one chronic illness significantly correlated to fair and poor QoL.
Sedentary occupation workers reported modest level of QoL and were at high risk of hypertension. Socio-demographic factors, physical activity, and health status were correlated to QoL. Gender differences existed in QoL, physical activity, and risk of hypertension. Improving employees' QoL through adopting strategies to promote healthy lifestyle in work settings should be activated. Further studies are recommended to explore cultural factors that drive gender differences in QoL.
本研究旨在探讨久坐职业工作者的性别差异，包括生活质量（QoL）、身体活动和高血压风险，并确定与 QoL 相关的因素。
本研究采用方便抽样法，从科威特随机选择的十个部委中选取了 2562 名员工，让他们填写自填式问卷。收集的数据包括员工的社会人口统计学特征、生活质量（使用世界卫生组织简明生活质量量表）和身体活动（使用新西兰身体活动问卷短表）以及体重、身高和血压的人体测量指标。本研究实施了多项分类回归分析、卡方检验、方差分析和学生 t 检验。p 值<0.05 被认为具有统计学意义。
参与者的平均年龄为 35.3 岁。QoL 的平均得分为总体 QoL（74.7）、身体健康（81.1）、心理健康（75.4）、社会关系（71.1）和环境（70.8）。与男性相比，女性的 QoL 水平更差，身体活动更好，高血压患病率更高。多项分类回归分析显示，女性、教育程度低、收入低、职位高、工作年限短、肥胖、身体活动不足、高血压或至少有一种慢性病与 QoL 较差显著相关。
久坐职业工作者的生活质量水平一般，且患高血压的风险较高。社会人口统计学因素、身体活动和健康状况与 QoL 相关。性别差异存在于 QoL、身体活动和高血压风险中。通过在工作场所采取促进健康生活方式的策略来提高员工的 QoL 应该被激活。建议开展进一步的研究，以探讨驱动 QoL 性别差异的文化因素。
