Physical Activity Level of White Collar Office Workers in Penang, Malaysia

Abstract

Background
Though the health benefits of Physical Activity (PA) have been proven, the level of physical
inactivity has been increasing gradually in the adult population, especially office workers who
spend most of their working time in sitting in a chair. But there is insufficient data regarding
the physical activity level of office workers in Penang, Malaysia.
Objectives
The objective of this study is to determine the physical activity level of the white-collar office
workers in Penang, Malaysia.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 121 office workers from various companies in
Penang aged 18 to 65 who were recruited by the convenience sampling method. The physical
activity level data were measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire
(IPAQ)-short form in English.
Results
The majority of the office workers (66.1%) was in the category of Moderate Physical Activity
Level based on the Guidelines for Data Processing and Analysis of the International Physical
Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) –Short Form. In this study, a higher percentage of female office
workers were in the moderate physical activity category, whereas male office workers reported
a higher percentage of high physical activity level.
Conclusion
The majority of the office workers reported moderate amount of physical activity in Penang,
Malaysia.