Pharmaceutical workers’ perceptions of physical activity and healthy eating: a qualitative study

Abstract

Objective The public health message ‘move for health’ is relevant given the high prevalence of insufficient physical activity, particularly in African countries. The call for behaviour modification including limiting unhealthy dietary patterns in these settings is therefore critical; however, there is limited knowledge on the adoption of health promotion strategies in the workplace. This study aimed to investigate workers’ perceptions of physical activity and healthy eating. Results Five focus groups were conducted with 28 participants employed in a South African pharmaceutical manufacturing company to explore perceptions of physical activity and healthy eating. Results showed that two categories emerged: physical activity and unhealthy behaviours. Participants recognised the importance of obtaining sufficient physical activity in various domains, however believed that contemporary lifestyle limited opportunities for movement. Likewise, participants viewed healthy eating as unrealistic due to financial constraints. There was however agreement that total physical activity time could be increased during recreational pursuits outside of vocational time and may include intermittent walking for travel. These findings are important for workplace interventions and provide a more robust understanding of workers’ perceptions of physical activity and healthy eating.

The moderating role of physical activity on the relationship between work intensity and depressive symptoms among the employees

“…Moreover, PA also has the advantages of low cost, high accessibility, and considerable economic and public health benefits ( Acs et al, 2016 ; Bull et al, 2020 ). Despite the multiple benefits of PA, employees are not motivated enough ( Gradidge, Draper, Casteleijn, & Palmeira, 2021 ). New WHO 2020 guidelines on PA recommended that all adults should undertake 150–300 min of moderate-intensity, 75–150 min of vigorous-intensity PA, or some equivalent combination of moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity aerobic PA per week ( Bull et al, 2020 ).…”

Barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and physical activity of office-based workers in New Zealand

“…Fruit and vegetables are commonly mentioned as part of a healthy meal and foods prepared with added sugar, salt, and oil were mentioned as unhealthy by seven interview participants. This is in line with the previous studies which confirm fast foods, snack foods with high salt and sugar content, and processed foods were perceived as unhealthy foods (Gradidge et al, 2021;Stern et al, 2021). Two of the interview participants reported gastrointestinal problems after eating these types of unhealthy foods in the workplace.…”

“…A recent study in South Africa demonstrated that nutritious foods could be subsidised and sold at a reduced cost through healthy eating initiatives in the workplace (Gradidge et al, 2021). This would lead to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption of the workers in the workplace.…”

Explaining the personal cognitive factors affecting physical activity and nutritional behaviors in the middle‐aged at risk of coronary artery disease: A directed qualitative content analysis

“…The results of another study by Gradidge on African workers showed they were aware of appropriate nutritional behaviors, yet believed that the current lifestyle limited their opportunities. Also, the participants considered healthy eating unrealistic due to economic limitations 49,51 . It appears that healthcare professionals can benefit from the information about specific health conditions related to healthy eating in developing appropriate educational content.…”

“…Also, the participants considered healthy eating unrealistic due to economic limitations. 49 , 51 It appears that healthcare professionals can benefit from the information about specific health conditions related to healthy eating in developing appropriate educational content.…”