Perceived benefits and barriers of nurses to exercise

Abstract

This study was performed cross-sectionally to determine nurses’ exercise benefit/barrier perceptions in a military hospital to clarify the effect of their characteristic properties on exercise beliefs. Data was collected using Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale questionnaire, and analyzed by t-test, sample mean, analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance. Nurses appreciated importance of exercise for health prevention and life enhancement. Marital status was the most discriminating criteria on health beliefs. Nurses, who were young, married, sedentary and thin, reported physical exertion as the most pronounced barrier for exercise. Exercising favors the awareness of relationship between exercise behavior and life enhancement. Exercising might become widespread physical activity among them by setting up the easily accessible sport facilities in addition to giving them enough time to spend only by exercising in all living areas. © Kamla-Raj 2017.