TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of exercise habits on quality of life among emergency medicine physicians
T2 - A cross-sectional study
AU - Gibbons, Gregory
AU - Aslakson, Aaron
AU - Melton, Bridget
AU - Bland, Helen
PY - 2025/6/15
Y1 - 2025/6/15
N2 - Physician quality of life is a critical factor influencing overall health, wellness, occupational stress, and burnout. Exercise has been demonstrated to enhance quality of life through multiple mechanisms, positively impacting physical, psychological, and social health domains. The objective of this study was to examine the exercise habits of emergency medicine physicians and their association with quality of life. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was employed to study 103 attending emergency medicine physicians. Participants completed an online questionnaire comprising the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) survey to assess physical activity levels and quality of life, respectively. There was no significant difference between compliance with moderate and vigorous physical activity and quality of life across domains. However, strength training compliance was statistically significant (p = 0.041) and correlated with improved physical health and quality of life scores. Quality of life among this cohort was slightly elevated in the physical health domain but lower in psychological, social, and environmental health domains compared to population averages. Furthermore, age and the number of hours worked per week were not statistically different in any quality of life domains. Exercise compliance among emergency physicians showed no statistically significant impact on quality of life, except for strength training, which was found to significantly enhance the physical health domain of quality of life.
AB - Physician quality of life is a critical factor influencing overall health, wellness, occupational stress, and burnout. Exercise has been demonstrated to enhance quality of life through multiple mechanisms, positively impacting physical, psychological, and social health domains. The objective of this study was to examine the exercise habits of emergency medicine physicians and their association with quality of life. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was employed to study 103 attending emergency medicine physicians. Participants completed an online questionnaire comprising the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) survey to assess physical activity levels and quality of life, respectively. There was no significant difference between compliance with moderate and vigorous physical activity and quality of life across domains. However, strength training compliance was statistically significant (p = 0.041) and correlated with improved physical health and quality of life scores. Quality of life among this cohort was slightly elevated in the physical health domain but lower in psychological, social, and environmental health domains compared to population averages. Furthermore, age and the number of hours worked per week were not statistically different in any quality of life domains. Exercise compliance among emergency physicians showed no statistically significant impact on quality of life, except for strength training, which was found to significantly enhance the physical health domain of quality of life.
UR - https://doi.org/10.31382/eqol.250608
U2 - 10.31382/eqol.250608
DO - 10.31382/eqol.250608
M3 - Article
VL - 17
SP - 71
EP - 82
JO - Exercise and Quality of Life
JF - Exercise and Quality of Life
IS - 1
ER -