FACTORS INFLUENCING SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE PREVALENCE AMONG WORKERS IN SELECTED INSTITUTES IN KENYA AGRICULTURAL LIVESTOCK AND RESEARCH ORGANISATION

Abstract

People who spend too much time being sedentary are more likely to develop musculoskeletal disorders and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a health risk likely to increase with increasing sedentary office setting and lifestyle. In Kenya, sedentary lifestyle is on the increase while its base line data has not been documented appropriately. This study investigated factors influencing sedentary lifestyle prevalence among workers in selected institutes in Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO). The study concentrated on a population of 820 office and laboratory workers in seven KALRO institutes located in Nairobi Metropolitan. The sample size (n= 96), was calculated using Daniel’s formula for prevalence studies. Cross sectional survey was employed and objective questionnaires were administered. Factors influencing sedentary lifestyle were, use of motorized transport (79.4%), screen time (64.7%), delegation of all house chores to house helps (56.5%) and occupational (78.4%). The studyconcluded that most of these factors were outside the workplace setting and that they played a role in the prevalence of sedentary lifestyle among KALRO employees in the selected institutes resulting to overweight, central obesity and related ailments. These findings provide a basis for management in KALRO to encourage physical activity among its workers by intervening at individual, environmental, and policy level.