Level of Physical Activity and Behavior Change Stages in Teachers of Basic Education

Abstract

Objective: To identify the levels of physical activity and the stages of behavior change for practicing physical activity in basic education teachers. Materials and Methods: Websurvey-type epidemiological survey, descriptive, cross-sectional, carried out between October and December 2021. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), short version, was used to assess the level of physical activity and the Transtheoretical Model (MTT) to identify the stages of behavior change. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Categorical variables were summarized using absolute and relative frequency. Results: 1,885 teachers from state public schools in Minas Gerais participated in the research, the majority of whom were female (77.0%). Through IPAQ, 64.8% of teachers were identified as insufficiently active and 35.2% considered active. From the MTT, it was found that 54.9% of teachers were in the action and maintenance stages and 45.1% in the lower stages (pre-contemplation, contemplation and preparation). Conclusion: The prevalence of teachers with a low level of physical activity was high, with just over half of them identified in the most advanced stages of behavior change. This finding suggests that, despite preliminary levels of inactivity, many teachers are committed to adopting healthier behaviors.