A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring Motivators and Barriers to Physical Activity Participation Among Hospital Workers

The workplace is an ideal setting to implement an effective health-promoting program. Insufficient information exists regarding the motivators and barriers to physical activity among working adults in Qatar. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the motivators and barriers to physical activity among adults in a healthcare setting. This cross-sectional study was conducted in an orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital. The participants were Qatari and non-Qatari adult staff (n = 100), who were recruited by word of mouth. They filled out self-administered questionnaires consisting of questions on age, gender, nationality, medical conditions, and the motivators (external, health/medical, and engagement) and barriers (personal, perceptual, and time constraint) to participating in physical activity. The characteristics of participants were: Age (<35 years, 50.5%; ≥35 years, 49.5%), Gender (men, 47.5%; women, 52.5%), Nationality (Qatari, 51%; non-Qatari, 49%), and health status (healthy, 53%; ≥1 medical condition, 47%). Common motivators particularly among workers <35 years, were the desire to maintain weight/shape (83.5%), participating in a sport (67.7%), and getting out of the house (64.2%). Common barriers to exercise were weather (84.9%) and family responsibilities (84.4%). Other barriers, particularly among women, were difficulty in maintaining a routine (82.1%) and finding physical activity uninteresting (52.7%). The most common motivator to physical activity was the desire to maintain weight/shape and the main perceived barrier was the usual hot weather conditions most part of the year). Employers may need to consider the influence of these and other factors to improve the success of a physical activity program implemented in a workplace.