Assessment of Physical Activity (PA) Readiness and Participation among Staff in Nigerian Universities

Inactivity and sedentary living are on the increase globally. Readiness to begin, continue and sustain PA (physical activity) behaviour plays key roles in attaining desirable health outcome. Evidence-based data regarding readiness to begin and /or maintain physical activity among staff in workplaces including the University environment have become indispensable for initiating PA behaviour promotion policies and programmes. This study adopted the descriptive survey research design to assess the prevalence of PA readiness and participation behaviors among university staff in south-eastern Nigeria. Six hundred staff, (age ranged from 25-65 years old, male and female, teaching and non-teaching) from two Federal Universities participated in the study. Self-reported data were obtained with PA stages of change assessment instrument. Results indicate 60% of all respondents representing (pre-contemplation, contemplation and preparation) were not participating in PA or doing so infrequently, while 40% were actively participating. T-test yielded no significant differences for both gender, [Males (M=3.09; SD=1.39), Females (M=2.95, SD=1.37) t=1.20, p= .23] and staff categories, [Teaching staff (M=3.13; SD=1.33), Non-teaching staff (M = 3.03; SD = 1.43) t=1.78, p= .07]. In conclusion, majority of university staff were at the pre-adoption or pre-action stages irrespective of gender and staff categories. PA programme to facilitate transition to action and maintenance stages was recommended. Keywords: physical activity (PA), university staff, stages of change, health, behavio

Differential Effects of Two Modes of Exercise on Anthropometric Characteristics of Persons with Type-2 Diabetes

The aim of this study was to determine and compare the separate effects of Aerobic Endurance Exercise (AEE) and Progressive Resistance Exercise(PRE) on some Anthropometric features of Body weight (BW), Body Mass Index (BMI), Percent Body Fat (PBF) and Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) of type 2 diabetics.  Type-2 diabetes outpatient volunteers who registered in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Medical Centre and met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. The randomize Pretest-Posttest Control Group quasi-experimental design was adopted as participants were randomly assigned to each two experimental and one control groups. The study participants in the two experimental groups were exposed to two different exercise modes for 15 weeks while their effects on the anthropometric features were monitored and recorded. Four null hypotheses guided the study, while the descriptive (means, SD and range) and inferential statistics (ANCOVA, eta squared (R2), and SIDAK pairwise multiple comparisons) were employed for the data analyses. Results revealed that all the hypotheses were not supported indicating that the two exercise protocols had significance effect as seen in the mean values differences of the pretest and posttest anthropometric measures.  It was concluded that a twice-weekly session of 15-week supervised circuit type endurance exercise and progressive resistance training protocol at moderate intensity had beneficial reduction effects on physical parameters of body weight body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio and percent body fat. As a result, the two modes of exercise were effective in mediating anthropometric features of person recently diagnosed with type-2 diabetes recommendations were made based on the findings. Keywords: Type-2 diabetes, Body composition, Obesity, Aerobic Endurance Exercise, Progressive Resistance Exercise