The impact of regular physical activity on health-related quality of life among young employees

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This study found that regular physical activity significantly improves physical health, vitality, mental health, and emotional well-being in young Tunisian employees compared to their inactive peers.

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This cross-sectional study examined the impact of regular physical activity on health-related quality of life among 400 young Tunisian employees aged 18–35 in the Gafsa Mining Region, using the SF-36 questionnaire and non-parametric Mann–Whitney U testing. Physically active participants reported significantly better physical health (General Health, Physical Functioning, Physical Role, and Bodily Pain) and better mental health/emotional status (Emotional Role, Mental Health, Vitality), with the Social Functioning subscale showing no significant difference. The authors note a major limitation of the design and analysis approach: it compares groups at one time point without establishing causality, and non-normality led them to rely on rank-based comparisons. This paper does not explicitly discuss endometriosis or adenomyosis; it was included in the corpus via a keyword match in the upstream search index.

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Abstract Objectives This article examines the impact of regular physical activity on the health of young Tunisian employees. Methods This study employed a cross-sectional design involving 400 young employees aged between 18 and 35 from a various field of work. Health status was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire, which evaluates the physical and mental components of health using eight subscales. Data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results Our analysis reveals significant differences between physically active and inactive employees (p < 0.05). For the physical component, the General Health, Functioning Physical, Physical Role and Bodily Pain subscales revealed p-values of less than 0.05, indicating that physically active people perceive themselves as having better overall physical health. In terms of the mental component, the Emotional Role, Mental Health and Vitality subscales showed p-values of less than 0.05, indicating better mental and emotional health among practitioners. The Social Functioning subscale showed no significant difference, but the composite analysis of the mental component revealed a significant difference (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our research highlights the importance of regular physical activity in improving the physical and mental health of young employees.
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The impact of regular physical activity on health-related quality of life among young employees | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The impact of regular physical activity on health-related quality of life among young employees Achref Hasni, Hafsi Bedhioufi This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4977465/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Objectives This article examines the impact of regular physical activity on the health of young Tunisian employees. Methods This study employed a cross-sectional design involving 400 young employees aged between 18 and 35 from a various field of work. Health status was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire, which evaluates the physical and mental components of health using eight subscales. Data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results Our analysis reveals significant differences between physically active and inactive employees (p < 0.05). For the physical component, the General Health, Functioning Physical, Physical Role and Bodily Pain subscales revealed p-values of less than 0.05, indicating that physically active people perceive themselves as having better overall physical health. In terms of the mental component, the Emotional Role, Mental Health and Vitality subscales showed p-values of less than 0.05, indicating better mental and emotional health among practitioners. The Social Functioning subscale showed no significant difference, but the composite analysis of the mental component revealed a significant difference (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our research highlights the importance of regular physical activity in improving the physical and mental health of young employees. physical activity SF-36 mental health physical health young employees Introduction Health is an essential element of human well-being and plays a fundamental role in people's quality of life. It is defined as: the measure by which a group or an individual can, on the one part, achieve its goals and meet its needs, and on the other, adapt to or cope with its environment. Health is therefore seen as a resource for everyday life rather than the goal of life itself. It is a positive concept that values social and individual resources, and also physical capacities (WHO, 1986). In this context, the promotion of physical activity has become a priority for health professionals and policy-makers because of the rise in sedentary lifestyles and the health problems associated with physical inactivity. It is primarily defined as: an organised leisure physical activity, which may include physical exercise, where participants adhere to a common group of rules (or expectations) and where a goal is defined [ 1 ]. In the same vein, physical activity is a major determinant of health. They also play a crucial role in society [ 2 ]. Several scientific papers on the general population demonstrate that physical activity is essential for maintaining good health and having a sane body [ 3 – 4 ]. In other words, the health benefits of physical activity and sport are numerous, whether on mortality [ 5 ], physical health [ 6 ], mental health [ 7 , 8 ] or social health [ 9 ]. As concerns Tunisia, it has been observed that the majority of the Tunisian population does not comply with the recommendations for health-promoting physical activity, and that interventions are ineffective. In particular, according to the latest Sports National Observatory study in 2020, the rate of physical activity and sport in the country as a whole does not exceed 16.80%, with a practice rate of 26% among the Young people. More specifically in the governorate of Gafsa, the percentage of people practising physical activity is around 3% 1 . Although the rate of physical activity and sport is too low in our study region, physical activity could be a way of improving the health of young employees. In this area, which is the crucible of dynamic industrial activity, the constraints of the professions, working conditions and the challenges of daily life can put physical and psychological strain. The aim of this article is to examine, using the SF-36 questionnaire, the impact of regular physical activity on the physical and mental health of young employees aged between 18 and 35 in the Gafsa Mining Region. Understanding how physical activity can influence their health may therefore have significant implications for their long-term development and essentially for their quality of life at work. In order to achieve this aim, we examined data collected from a representative sample of young employees in this geographical area. Methods 1. The Scale The SF-36 is a generic instrument for measuring health-related quality of life. It is a short, diversified health survey comprising just 36 items, divided into eight dimensions: general health (GH), physical functioning (PF), role limitations due to physical problems (RP), bodily pain (BP), social functioning (SF), role limitations due to emotional problems (RE), mental health (MH), vitality (VT), and one single item scale on health transition [ 10 ]. The SF-36 is suitable for self-administration, computerized administration, or administration by trained interviewer face to face or through phone call [ 11 ]. 2. Local validation of the scale Regarding the validation of our scale, the SF-36 was translated into Arabic and validated in Tunisia [ 12 ]. In order to guarantee the pertinence and reliability of the scale for use in the Tunisian context, the researchers followed a rigorous translation and cultural adaptation process. In this research, factor analysis in principal component with Varimax rotation allowed to extract two components: physical component (CM) and mental component (CP) which accounted for 62.3% of total variance [ 12 ]. The physical component (CP) is correlated with 4 scales: general health (GH), physical functioning (PF), role limitations due to physical problems (RP) and bodily pain (BP). The mental component (CM) is correlated with social functioning (SF), role limitations due to emotional problems (RE), mental health (MH) and vitality (VT).Moreover, their distribution is comparable to the original English and Italian versions of the SF-36 scale [10; 13; 14; 12]. This local validation strengthens the credibility of our research by certifying that our instrument precisely measures the dimensions of physical health and mental health in our population. 3. Study sample Our study focuses on young employees aged between 18 and 35 within the Gafsa Mining Basin. According to the most recent census conducted by the NIS in Tunisia in 2014, the employed population (aged 15 and above) in our study area approximated 22,259 individuals 2 . Because of the absence of the total number of young employees aged between 18 and 35 in this population, we followed recommendations outlined by Hair et al. (2009), which suggest that the number of respondents should be at least eight times the number of variables under investigation [ 15 ]. In addition, to determine the n in order to estimate proportions, we worked with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5%. Therefore, 382 participants are sufficient [ 16 ] according to Filion et al (1990). Consequently, adhering to these guidelines, 400 responses proved more than adequate. With regard to the sampling method, we chose the quota sampling method because of the difficulty of obtaining such a list of young employees in our research area. This non-probabilistic approach aims to select participants effectively representing the target population. Quota sampling serves as a viable alternative when probabilistic methods are impractical due to the absence of a suitable sampling frame. Utilizing data from the latest census in Tunisia in 2014, which offers insights into the characteristics of the population under study, we employed a methodological approach. Although this data does not specifically outline the age group of 18 to 35 years, it formed the foundation of our sampling strategy. In addition, it is essential to bear in mind that the field of study is made up of 4 towns: Metlaoui, Moulares, Rdayef and Mdhila. Consequently, we focused on two key characteristics: "place of residence" and "field of work." The former allows us to accommodate variations among the four delegations of the Mining Basin, particularly regarding their demographic composition. Based on the latest population census, employees in our research area are distributed as follows: Metlaoui 37.09%, Moulares 23.20%, Rdayef 22.59% and Mdhila 17.10%. The latter facilitates the differentiation across various fields of employment. The participants, aged between 18 and 35 years, comprised 296 males and 104 females, engaging in voluntary participation. Our sample demonstrated diversity across five distinct work domains, primarily represented by the service sector (61.5%), followed by contributions from mining and energy (28.75%), industry (5.25%), construction and public works (3.25%), and agriculture (1.25%). This diversity mirrors the occupational spread among our participants, with 73.50% employed in the public sector and 26.50% in the private sector. 4. Ethical considerations This study was conducted in conformity with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee from the University of Manouba. We took care to respect the dignity and rights of the participants, obtaining their informed consent prior to their participation. All participants were informed of the nature and aims of the study, and of their right to withdraw at any time without consequence. Care has been taken to minimise potential risks and to ensure the confidentiality of participants’ personal data. The results of this research will be shared transparently with the scientific community and the public, in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration on the Diffusion of Scientific Knowledge. In addition, the SF-36 questionnaire was used in this study, providing all the relevant references. 5. Statistical Methods Used for Data Analysis After collecting the information, we used SPSS 21.0 to analyse the data. We started by checking the distribution of the data. We assessed the normality of the scores of the SF-36 variables using the Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. These analyses showed that the score distributions did not follow a normal distribution for the two components (p < 0.001) and for the two groups in our sample (p < 0.001). Consequently, the use of parametric tests was not appropriate. To meet our objective, we opted for non-parametric tests better suited to our data. The Mann-Whitney U test was chosen because it does not rely on the assumption of normality and allows us to compare the ranks of the data between two independent groups. Results Based on our results, the participants were then classified into two groups according to their level of physical activity (see Table 1 ). The first group, composed of 81 young employees, corresponded to those who engaged in regular physical activity (at least 3 times a week, totalling at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of intense activity per week, over the previous six months). The second group, composed of 319 young employees, corresponded to those who were not physically active (identified as sedentary). Table 1 characteristics of participants by intensity of physical activity Participants Gender Field of work work situation Sector of work Total Practitioner Men: 70 Women : 11 Services : 41 Mines and Energy: 35 Construction and public works: 3 Industries : 2 Agriculture : 0 Permanent : 73 Temporary : 6 Seasonal : 2 Public : 71 Private : 10 81 Non- Practitioner Men : 226 Women : 93 Services : 205 Mines and Energy: 80 Construction and public works: 18 Industries : 11 Agriculture : 5 Permanent : 240 Temporary : 73 Seasonal : 6 Public : 223 Private : 96 319 1. The impact of regular physical activity on the physical component of health The evaluation of the physical component of the SF-36 questionnaire includes four subscales: general health (GH), physical functioning (PF), limitations due to physical problems (RP), and bodily pain (BP). Each subscale reflects a specific aspect of physical health. 1.1 General Health With regard to general health, the results of the Mann-Whitney U test reveal a statistically significant difference between the two groups. In addition, the physical activity participants had a higher mean rank than the other group (see Table 2 ). This suggests that physically active young employees perceive their general health more positively than sedentary young people. The questions associated with this dimension, such as assessment of own health, expectations of future deterioration in health, and comparisons of current health with that of others, show a marked improvement among active individuals, underlining the beneficial impact of regular physical activity on the perception of overall health. 1.2 Physical Functioning The physical functioning subscale assesses the ability to perform physical tasks such as walking, climbing stairs and carrying loads. The results (see Table 2 ) indicate that there is a statistically significant difference between the two groups in our sample, with a higher mean rank for employees taking part in physical activity and sport. This suggests that regular physical activity has a positive impact on the physical functional capacity of young employees. 1.3 Role Physical This subscale assesses limitations in work and daily activities due to physical problems, with questions on reduced working time or physical tasks. The means of rank displayed for practising employees is higher. The results (see Table 2 ) show that young practising have significantly fewer limitations in their professional and personal activities, suggesting that physical activity reduces the obstacles associated with physical health problems. 1.4 Bodily Pain The results of the bodily pain subscale, which measures the intensity of pain and its impact on work and usual activities, also show a statistically significant difference between active and sedentary young employees (see Table 2 ). Young employees who take part in physical activity have a higher mean rank than others. This shows that physical engagement leads to a reduction in physical pain. This reduction allows young people to participate actively in their daily and professional activities. Table 2 Results of Mann-Whitney U Test for SF-36 Physical Component Scores Mean rank for the practising group Mean rank for the non practising group U ( The Mann-Whitney U value) P (The significance level) General Health (GH) 352.52 161.90 605.500 < 0.001 Physical Functioning (PF) 221.83 216.50 6115.500 < 0.001 Role Physical (RP) 219.52 125.58 6851.000 < 0.001 Bodily Pain (BP) 281.50 179.93 6358.500 < 0.001 Physical Component (CP) 271.86 182.38 7139.500 < 0.001 For an overall analysis of the physical component, a composite score was calculated for this component as a whole. The results of the Mann-Whitney U test indicate a statistically significant difference between the two groups, with a higher mean rank for young active employees (see Table 2 ). These results reflect a better overall perception of physical health among physically active people, underlining the positive impact of regular physical activity on the various aspects of the physical component of the SF-36 questionnaire. 2. The impact of regular physical activity on the mental component of health The mental component of the SF-36 questionnaire evaluates various aspects of an individual's psychological and social well-being. This component is correlated with four subscales: Social functioning (SF), Role limitations due to emotional problems (RE), Mental health (MH) and Vitality (VT). Each of these subscales provides crucial insight into how individuals perceive and experience their emotions, social interactions, daily energy and overall mental well-being. 2.1 Social Functioning In terms of social activities, the results of the Mann-Whitney U test did not reveal any statistically significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05). Although the non-participants had a higher mean rank than the regular physical activity participants (see Table 3 ), this difference was not statistically significant. This suggests that perceived social functioning is similar between young employees who engage in regular physical activity and those who do not. Questions associated with this dimension, such as the extent to which physical or emotional problems interfere with normal social activities, show that regular physical activity does not have a significant impact on perceived social interactions in this sample. 2.2 Role Emotional With regard to the assessment of emotional limitations at work and in other daily activities, the results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (see Table 3 ), with those who took part in regular physical activity having a higher mean rank than the others. This indicates that the active employees did their work tasks and daily activities properly, without cutting back on the time spent on these activities. 2.3 Mental Health The results of the Mann-Whitney U test reveal a statistically significant difference between the two groups. For this sub-scale, the physically active participants had a higher mean rank than the other group (see Table 3 ). This suggests that physically active young employees perceive their mental health more positively than sedentary young people. The questions associated with this dimension, such as the frequency of feelings of depression or anxiety, feelings of nervousness, calmness and general emotional well-being, showed a clear improvement in the active individuals, underlining the beneficial impact of regular physical activity on the perception of mental health. 2.4 Vitality In relation to the feeling of being full of energy or tired and exhausted, the Mann-Whitney U results show a statistically significant difference among our participants, with a higher mean rank among the young active people (see Table 3 ). This finding highlights the beneficial impact of regular physical activity on the perception of energy and fatigue levels. Table 3 Results of Mann-Whitney U Test for SF-36 mental Component Scores Mean rank for the practising group Mean rank for the non practising group U ( The Mann-Whitney U value) P (The significance level) Social Functioning (SF) 278.19 280.77 6626.500 0.065 Role Emotional (RE) 219.79 124.55 6767.500 < 0.001 Mental Health (MH) 230.06 84.07 3488.500 < 0.001 Vitality (VT) 283.54 179.41 6193.000 < 0.001 Mental component (CM) 221.29 118.60 6286.000 < 0.001 Although regular physical activity is associated with significant improvements in several aspects of mental health, such as vitality, mental health and role emotional, it does not appear to have a significant impact on social functioning. However, overall analysis of the mental component reveals a statistically significant difference between the two groups. This underscores the importance of physical activity for mental well-being, while highlighting the multifactorial nature of mental health and the need to take into account a wide range of factors when assessing the impact of physical activity on overall mental well-being. Discussion 1. Comparison with Existing Literature Although the first research into physical activity and health dates back to the 1950, the advances in this scientific field accelerated between 1980 and 1990. There are now countless scientific findings attributing positive effects on lifestyles to sport and physical activity. Our results support the studies [ 17 – 18 ] which looked at the impact of leisure-time physical activity on health. The first study involved 685 individuals (active and non-active) and the second involved 2,533 (active and non-active). In both cases, the subjects were aged between 18 and 64, and the authors used the Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF-36). These two studies show that individuals who take part in leisure-time physical activities have a significantly higher score than non-active people and that there is a positive correlation between taking part in a leisure-time physical activity and life satisfaction and health (r = 0.17; p < .001). Furthermore, our findings are similar to the study by Sakina M. and Nacera H. (2016). This research [ 19 ] indicates that physical activity can have a positive impact on physical and mental well-being. With regard to physical health, our results are in line with several studies [ 20 – 21 – 22 – 23 ]. These research studies have shown that physical activity and sport can improve physical health, especially in young people. For mental health, mainly depression, anxiety and nervosity, our findings are similar to other articles [ 24 – 25 – 26 , 7 , 27 ] which focus on these themes. For example, from 1991 to 2002, De Moor et al (2006) conducted quantitative research [ 28 ] with a sample of 19,288 people aged between 10 and 60. They monitored their sample using questionnaires on personality, anxiety and depression. These surveys were administered over an eleven-year period. The results show that people who practise physical activity, regardless of their age or sex, are less depressed, less anxious, more expansive and more communicative than people who do not. It should be noted that the results were stable throughout the research period. Physical activity and sport therefore have a positive effect on subjective well-being. Similar findings were noted by Galper et al (2006) in their study [ 28 ]. This survey covered a population of 5,451 men and 1,277 women aged between 28 and 88 with no pathologies. The authors showed that the level of physical activity was positively correlated with the level of well-being and inversely correlated with the level of depression in both men and women. 2. Limitations and implications Following the analysis of this study, three major limitations emerge. The first relates to the area covered by our study. The participants represent only the four towns of the Gafsa mining basin and do not represent the entire governorate. The second limitation relates to the data on physical activity and health measures, which were collected by self-assessment [ 29 ]. This may introduce response bias and recall errors. Participants may over- or underestimate their physical activity and health status. The third limitation relates to a number of confounding variables, such as nutritional intake, sleep and work-related stress. These uncontrolled factors may also influence the health of young employees. Despite these limitations, the results of our study suggest that sedentary employees could benefit from taking part in regular physical activity to improve their health. Our findings show that regular physical activity has a positive impact on the physical and mental health of young employees. Employers should therefore promote physical activity and sports programmes within their companies in order to improve quality of life at work, increase productivity and reduce healthcare costs. In addition, our findings encourage policy-makers to support sports initiatives in companies, particularly in industrial zones, to promote the overall health of employees. Conclusion This investigation, conducted among young Tunisian employees at regional level, shows significant differences between physically active and inactive groups in several dimensions of physical and mental health assessed by the SF-36. In the terms of the physical component, the results reveal that the p-values are less than 0.05 for the four subscales: General Health (GH), Functioning physical (PF), Physical Role (PR), and Bodily Pain (BP). This indicates that young employees who engage in regular physical activity perceive their overall health more positively, perceive themselves to have better physical functioning, experience fewer limitations in their daily and professional activities due to physical problems, and feel less impact of pain on their physical activities compared to non-practitioners. In sum, the global composite analysis of the physical component reveals a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05), highlighting the better physical health of active individuals. With regard to the mental component, the p-values were less than 0.05 for three of the four subscales: Emotional Role (ER), Mental Health (MH) and Vitality (VT). This suggests that young employees practising regular physical activity have fewer emotional limitations in their daily and professional activities, better mental health and higher energy levels than non- practitioners. Nevertheless, for the Social Functioning (SF) subscale, the p-value was greater than 0.05, indicating that the difference between the groups was not significant for this specific dimension. But the global composite analysis of the mental component demonstrates a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05), indicating a better mental health in active participants. This research confirms that regular physical activity promotes a better quality of life perceived by individuals, both physically and mentally. Declarations Declarations of interest Authors declare no conflicts of interest. Funding The work was conducted without external funding. Author Contribution Authors' contributionsAchref hasni: led the design and development of the research study. He was primarily responsible for interpreting the data and writing the manuscript. He is responsible for the integrity and accuracy of all the work, in particular overseeing data collection and analysis, and has also taken on the role of corresponding author.Hafsi bedhioufi: contributed significantly to the analysis and interpretation of the data. Hafsi is responsible for the analysis of the data and ensures its methodological rigour. Acknowledgments We would like to express our profound gratitude to all the participants in this study for their valuable time and engagement. Their contribution was essential to the success of this research. References Schubert A, Januário RSB, Casonatto J, Sonoo CN. Body image, nutritional status, abdominal strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents practicing sports. 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Translational behavioral medicine. 2020;10(5):1098–109. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibz198 Janssen I, LeBlanc AG. Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity. 2010;7:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-7-40 De Moor MH, Beem A, Stubbe JH, Boomsma DI, De Geus EJ. Regular exercise, anxiety, depression and personality: a population-based study. Preventive medicine. 2006;42(4):273–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2005.12.002 Henwood P, Ellis J, Logan J, Dubouloz C-J, D'Eon J. Acceptance of chronic neuropathic pain in spinal cord injured persons: a qualitative approach. Pain management nursing. 2012;13(4):215–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2010.05.005 Collingwood TR, Reynolds R, Kohl HW, Smith W, Sloan S. Physical fitness effects on substance abuse risk factors and use patterns. Journal of drug education. 1991;21(1):73–84. https://doi.org/10.2190/HV5J-4EYN-GPP7-Y3QG Lawton E, Brymer E, Clough P, Denovan A. The relationship between the physical activity environment, nature relatedness, anxiety, and the psychological well-being benefits of regular exercisers. Frontiers in psychology. 2017;8:268752. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01058 Galper DI, Trivedi MH, Barlow CE, Dunn AL, Kampert JB. Inverse association between physical inactivity and mental health in men and women. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2006;38(1):173–8. DOI: 10.1249/01.mss.0000180883.32116.28 Podsakoff PM, MacKenzie SB, Lee J-Y, Podsakoff NP. Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of applied psychology. 2003;88(5):879. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879 Footnotes Sports National Observatory (2020), “Physical and Sports Practice Among Tunisians”, field survey on attitudes and trends. Available online: http://www.ons-sport.tn/category/actualite/?lang=fr , accessed on 30/07/2023. National Institute of Statistics. General Census of Housing and Population. 2014. Available online: http://www.ins.nat.tn , accessed on 18/02/2023. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4977465","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":350838582,"identity":"7cf4fc73-c428-42e6-a603-30d3552b27cd","order_by":0,"name":"Achref Hasni","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACgwNAIgGMGB8++FAB5DEzNxCrhdnYcMYZkBZGIrRAdDGbSfO2gdiEtBw//uzBgxq7PPP2ZjYJ3nm10fztQC0/Krbh1GJ/JsfcIOFYcrHMmcPMFpLbjufOOMzYwNhz5jYeh+WwSSSwHUicIZF/8IbhtmO5DUAtzIxteLScf/5MIuEfUIv8YwaJxDnHcucT1HIjwUwisQ1kCzOTxMGGmtwNhLW8AWrpS06cwZPMbNhw7EDuRqCWg3j9cj79meSPb3aJM9gPMz7+U1OXO+/84YMPflTg1oIODoPJA0SrB4I6UhSPglEwCkbBCAEA9UpjcSEJBj0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Institut Supérieur du Sport et de l’Éducation Physique de Sfax","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Achref","middleName":"","lastName":"Hasni","suffix":""},{"id":350838584,"identity":"590638ec-a2be-4b65-baf0-7ebbeb2b0865","order_by":1,"name":"Hafsi Bedhioufi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Higher Institute of Accounting and Business Administration of Tunis","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hafsi","middleName":"","lastName":"Bedhioufi","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-08-26 11:03:06","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4977465/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4977465/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":78063817,"identity":"32838437-1224-4462-94e5-719ba44970bd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-03-09 00:16:24","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":807210,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4977465/v1/ac47d2b3-4432-490a-bfe2-01358c0ecd6f.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"The impact of regular physical activity on health-related quality of life among young employees","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eHealth is an essential element of human well-being and plays a fundamental role in people's quality of life. It is defined as: the measure by which a group or an individual can, on the one part, achieve its goals and meet its needs, and on the other, adapt to or cope with its environment. Health is therefore seen as a resource for everyday life rather than the goal of life itself. It is a positive concept that values social and individual resources, and also physical capacities (WHO, 1986).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn this context, the promotion of physical activity has become a priority for health professionals and policy-makers because of the rise in sedentary lifestyles and the health problems associated with physical inactivity. It is primarily defined as: an organised leisure physical activity, which may include physical exercise, where participants adhere to a common group of rules (or expectations) and where a goal is defined [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. In the same vein, physical activity is a major determinant of health. They also play a crucial role in society [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. Several scientific papers on the general population demonstrate that physical activity is essential for maintaining good health and having a sane body [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e–\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. In other words, the health benefits of physical activity and sport are numerous, whether on mortality [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e], physical health [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e], mental health [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e] or social health [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs concerns Tunisia, it has been observed that the majority of the Tunisian population does not comply with the recommendations for health-promoting physical activity, and that interventions are ineffective. In particular, according to the latest Sports National Observatory study in 2020, the rate of physical activity and sport in the country as a whole does not exceed 16.80%, with a practice rate of 26% among the Young people. More specifically in the governorate of Gafsa, the percentage of people practising physical activity is around 3%\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e. Although the rate of physical activity and sport is too low in our study region, physical activity could be a way of improving the health of young employees. In this area, which is the crucible of dynamic industrial activity, the constraints of the professions, working conditions and the challenges of daily life can put physical and psychological strain.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe aim of this article is to examine, using the SF-36 questionnaire, the impact of regular physical activity on the physical and mental health of young employees aged between 18 and 35 in the Gafsa Mining Region. Understanding how physical activity can influence their health may therefore have significant implications for their long-term development and essentially for their quality of life at work. In order to achieve this aim, we examined data collected from a representative sample of young employees in this geographical area.\u003c/p\u003e \n\n "},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003ch3\u003e1. The Scale\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe SF-36 is a generic instrument for measuring health-related quality of life. It is a short, diversified health survey comprising just 36 items, divided into eight dimensions: general health (GH), physical functioning (PF), role limitations due to physical problems (RP), bodily pain (BP), social functioning (SF), role limitations due to emotional problems (RE), mental health (MH), vitality (VT), and one single item scale on health transition [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e]. The SF-36 is suitable for self-administration, computerized administration, or administration by trained interviewer face to face or through phone call [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e2. Local validation of the scale\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegarding the validation of our scale, the SF-36 was translated into Arabic and validated in Tunisia [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. In order to guarantee the pertinence and reliability of the scale for use in the Tunisian context, the researchers followed a rigorous translation and cultural adaptation process. In this research, factor analysis in principal component with Varimax rotation allowed to extract two components: physical component (CM) and mental component (CP) which accounted for 62.3% of total variance [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. The physical component (CP) is correlated with 4 scales: general health (GH), physical functioning (PF), role limitations due to physical problems (RP) and bodily pain (BP). The mental component (CM) is correlated with social functioning (SF), role limitations due to emotional problems (RE), mental health (MH) and vitality (VT).Moreover, their distribution is comparable to the original English and Italian versions of the SF-36 scale [10; 13; 14; 12]. This local validation strengthens the credibility of our research by certifying that our instrument precisely measures the dimensions of physical health and mental health in our population.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003e3. Study sample\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur study focuses on young employees aged between 18 and 35 within the Gafsa Mining Basin. According to the most recent census conducted by the NIS in Tunisia in 2014, the employed population (aged 15 and above) in our study area approximated 22,259 individuals\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e. Because of the absence of the total number of young employees aged between 18 and 35 in this population, we followed recommendations outlined by Hair et al. (2009), which suggest that the number of respondents should be at least eight times the number of variables under investigation [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e]. In addition, to determine the n in order to estimate proportions, we worked with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5%. Therefore, 382 participants are sufficient [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e] according to Filion et al (1990). Consequently, adhering to these guidelines, 400 responses proved more than adequate. With regard to the sampling method, we chose the quota sampling method because of the difficulty of obtaining such a list of young employees in our research area. This non-probabilistic approach aims to select participants effectively representing the target population. Quota sampling serves as a viable alternative when probabilistic methods are impractical due to the absence of a suitable sampling frame. Utilizing data from the latest census in Tunisia in 2014, which offers insights into the characteristics of the population under study, we employed a methodological approach. Although this data does not specifically outline the age group of 18 to 35 years, it formed the foundation of our sampling strategy. In addition, it is essential to bear in mind that the field of study is made up of 4 towns: Metlaoui, Moulares, Rdayef and Mdhila. Consequently, we focused on two key characteristics: \"place of residence\" and \"field of work.\" The former allows us to accommodate variations among the four delegations of the Mining Basin, particularly regarding their demographic composition. Based on the latest population census, employees in our research area are distributed as follows: Metlaoui 37.09%, Moulares 23.20%, Rdayef 22.59% and Mdhila 17.10%. The latter facilitates the differentiation across various fields of employment. The participants, aged between 18 and 35 years, comprised 296 males and 104 females, engaging in voluntary participation. Our sample demonstrated diversity across five distinct work domains, primarily represented by the service sector (61.5%), followed by contributions from mining and energy (28.75%), industry (5.25%), construction and public works (3.25%), and agriculture (1.25%). This diversity mirrors the occupational spread among our participants, with 73.50% employed in the public sector and 26.50% in the private sector.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4. Ethical considerations\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e This study was conducted in conformity with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee from the University of Manouba. We took care to respect the dignity and rights of the participants, obtaining their informed consent prior to their participation. All participants were informed of the nature and aims of the study, and of their right to withdraw at any time without consequence. Care has been taken to minimise potential risks and to ensure the confidentiality of participants’ personal data. The results of this research will be shared transparently with the scientific community and the public, in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration on the Diffusion of Scientific Knowledge. In addition, the SF-36 questionnaire was used in this study, providing all the relevant references.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5. Statistical Methods Used for Data Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter collecting the information, we used SPSS 21.0 to analyse the data. We started by checking the distribution of the data. We assessed the normality of the scores of the SF-36 variables using the Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests. These analyses showed that the score distributions did not follow a normal distribution for the two components (p \u0026lt; 0.001) and for the two groups in our sample (p \u0026lt; 0.001). Consequently, the use of parametric tests was not appropriate. To meet our objective, we opted for non-parametric tests better suited to our data. The Mann-Whitney U test was chosen because it does not rely on the assumption of normality and allows us to compare the ranks of the data between two independent groups.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eBased on our results, the participants were then classified into two groups according to their level of physical activity (see Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). The first group, composed of 81 young employees, corresponded to those who engaged in regular physical activity (at least 3 times a week, totalling at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of intense activity per week, over the previous six months). The second group, composed of 319 young employees, corresponded to those who were not physically active (identified as sedentary).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003echaracteristics of participants by intensity of physical activity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eField of work\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ework situation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSector of work\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePractitioner\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMen: 70\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWomen\u0026nbsp;: 11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eServices\u0026nbsp;: 41\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMines and Energy: 35\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConstruction and public works: 3\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndustries\u0026nbsp;: 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAgriculture\u0026nbsp;: 0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePermanent\u0026nbsp;: 73\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTemporary\u0026nbsp;: 6\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSeasonal\u0026nbsp;: 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePublic\u0026nbsp;: 71\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrivate\u0026nbsp;: 10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNon- Practitioner\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMen\u0026nbsp;: 226\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWomen\u0026nbsp;: 93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eServices\u0026nbsp;: 205\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMines and Energy: 80\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConstruction and public works: 18\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIndustries\u0026nbsp;: 11\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAgriculture\u0026nbsp;: 5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePermanent\u0026nbsp;: 240\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTemporary\u0026nbsp;: 73\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSeasonal\u0026nbsp;: 6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePublic\u0026nbsp;: 223\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrivate\u0026nbsp;: 96\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e319\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e1. The impact of regular physical activity on the physical component of health\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe evaluation of the physical component of the SF-36 questionnaire includes four subscales: general health (GH), physical functioning (PF), limitations due to physical problems (RP), and bodily pain (BP). Each subscale reflects a specific aspect of physical health.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e1.1 General Health\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith regard to general health, the results of the Mann-Whitney U test reveal a statistically significant difference between the two groups. In addition, the physical activity participants had a higher mean rank than the other group (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). This suggests that physically active young employees perceive their general health more positively than sedentary young people. The questions associated with this dimension, such as assessment of own health, expectations of future deterioration in health, and comparisons of current health with that of others, show a marked improvement among active individuals, underlining the beneficial impact of regular physical activity on the perception of overall health.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e1.2 Physical Functioning\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe physical functioning subscale assesses the ability to perform physical tasks such as walking, climbing stairs and carrying loads. The results (see Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e) indicate that there is a statistically significant difference between the two groups in our sample, with a higher mean rank for employees taking part in physical activity and sport. This suggests that regular physical activity has a positive impact on the physical functional capacity of young employees.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e1.3 Role Physical\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis subscale assesses limitations in work and daily activities due to physical problems, with questions on reduced working time or physical tasks. The means of rank displayed for practising employees is higher. The results (see Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e) show that young practising have significantly fewer limitations in their professional and personal activities, suggesting that physical activity reduces the obstacles associated with physical health problems.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e1.4 Bodily Pain\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results of the bodily pain subscale, which measures the intensity of pain and its impact on work and usual activities, also show a statistically significant difference between active and sedentary young employees (see Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Young employees who take part in physical activity have a higher mean rank than others. This shows that physical engagement leads to a reduction in physical pain. This reduction allows young people to participate actively in their daily and professional activities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResults of Mann-Whitney U Test for SF-36 Physical Component Scores\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean rank for the practising group\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean rank for the non practising group\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eU ( The Mann-Whitney U value)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP (The significance level)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGeneral Health\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(GH)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e352.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e161.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e605.500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePhysical Functioning\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(PF)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e221.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e216.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6115.500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRole Physical\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(RP)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e219.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e125.58\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6851.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBodily Pain\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(BP)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e281.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e179.93\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6358.500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePhysical Component (CP)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e271.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e182.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7139.500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFor an overall analysis of the physical component, a composite score was calculated for this component as a whole. The results of the Mann-Whitney U test indicate a statistically significant difference between the two groups, with a higher mean rank for young active employees (see Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). These results reflect a better overall perception of physical health among physically active people, underlining the positive impact of regular physical activity on the various aspects of the physical component of the SF-36 questionnaire.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2. The impact of regular physical activity on the mental component of health\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe mental component of the SF-36 questionnaire evaluates various aspects of an individual's psychological and social well-being. This component is correlated with four subscales: Social functioning (SF), Role limitations due to emotional problems (RE), Mental health (MH) and Vitality (VT). Each of these subscales provides crucial insight into how individuals perceive and experience their emotions, social interactions, daily energy and overall mental well-being.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1 Social Functioning\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn terms of social activities, the results of the Mann-Whitney U test did not reveal any statistically significant difference between the two groups (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Although the non-participants had a higher mean rank than the regular physical activity participants (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e), this difference was not statistically significant. This suggests that perceived social functioning is similar between young employees who engage in regular physical activity and those who do not. Questions associated with this dimension, such as the extent to which physical or emotional problems interfere with normal social activities, show that regular physical activity does not have a significant impact on perceived social interactions in this sample.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.2 Role Emotional\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith regard to the assessment of emotional limitations at work and in other daily activities, the results showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (see Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e), with those who took part in regular physical activity having a higher mean rank than the others. This indicates that the active employees did their work tasks and daily activities properly, without cutting back on the time spent on these activities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.3 Mental Health\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results of the Mann-Whitney U test reveal a statistically significant difference between the two groups. For this sub-scale, the physically active participants had a higher mean rank than the other group (see Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). This suggests that physically active young employees perceive their mental health more positively than sedentary young people. The questions associated with this dimension, such as the frequency of feelings of depression or anxiety, feelings of nervousness, calmness and general emotional well-being, showed a clear improvement in the active individuals, underlining the beneficial impact of regular physical activity on the perception of mental health.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.4 Vitality\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn relation to the feeling of being full of energy or tired and exhausted, the Mann-Whitney U results show a statistically significant difference among our participants, with a higher mean rank among the young active people (see Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). This finding highlights the beneficial impact of regular physical activity on the perception of energy and fatigue levels.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResults of Mann-Whitney U Test for SF-36 mental Component Scores\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean rank for the practising group\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean rank for the non practising group\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eU ( The Mann-Whitney U value)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP (The significance level)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSocial Functioning\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(SF)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e278.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e280.77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6626.500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.065\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRole Emotional\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(RE)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e219.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e124.55\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6767.500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMental Health\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(MH)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e230.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3488.500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVitality\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e(VT)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e283.54\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e179.41\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6193.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMental component (CM)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e221.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e118.60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6286.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough regular physical activity is associated with significant improvements in several aspects of mental health, such as vitality, mental health and role emotional, it does not appear to have a significant impact on social functioning. However, overall analysis of the mental component reveals a statistically significant difference between the two groups. This underscores the importance of physical activity for mental well-being, while highlighting the multifactorial nature of mental health and the need to take into account a wide range of factors when assessing the impact of physical activity on overall mental well-being.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e1. Comparison with Existing Literature\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough the first research into physical activity and health dates back to the 1950, the advances in this scientific field accelerated between 1980 and 1990. There are now countless scientific findings attributing positive effects on lifestyles to sport and physical activity. Our results support the studies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e] which looked at the impact of leisure-time physical activity on health. The first study involved 685 individuals (active and non-active) and the second involved 2,533 (active and non-active). In both cases, the subjects were aged between 18 and 64, and the authors used the Medical Outcome Study Short Form (SF-36). These two studies show that individuals who take part in leisure-time physical activities have a significantly higher score than non-active people and that there is a positive correlation between taking part in a leisure-time physical activity and life satisfaction and health (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.17; p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001). Furthermore, our findings are similar to the study by Sakina M. and Nacera H. (2016). This research [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e] indicates that physical activity can have a positive impact on physical and mental well-being.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith regard to physical health, our results are in line with several studies [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e]. These research studies have shown that physical activity and sport can improve physical health, especially in young people. For mental health, mainly depression, anxiety and nervosity, our findings are similar to other articles [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e] which focus on these themes. For example, from 1991 to 2002, De Moor et al (2006) conducted quantitative research [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e] with a sample of 19,288 people aged between 10 and 60. They monitored their sample using questionnaires on personality, anxiety and depression. These surveys were administered over an eleven-year period. The results show that people who practise physical activity, regardless of their age or sex, are less depressed, less anxious, more expansive and more communicative than people who do not. It should be noted that the results were stable throughout the research period. Physical activity and sport therefore have a positive effect on subjective well-being. Similar findings were noted by Galper et al (2006) in their study [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e]. This survey covered a population of 5,451 men and 1,277 women aged between 28 and 88 with no pathologies. The authors showed that the level of physical activity was positively correlated with the level of well-being and inversely correlated with the level of depression in both men and women.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2. Limitations and implications\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFollowing the analysis of this study, three major limitations emerge. The first relates to the area covered by our study. The participants represent only the four towns of the Gafsa mining basin and do not represent the entire governorate. The second limitation relates to the data on physical activity and health measures, which were collected by self-assessment [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e]. This may introduce response bias and recall errors. Participants may over- or underestimate their physical activity and health status. The third limitation relates to a number of confounding variables, such as nutritional intake, sleep and work-related stress. These uncontrolled factors may also influence the health of young employees.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDespite these limitations, the results of our study suggest that sedentary employees could benefit from taking part in regular physical activity to improve their health. Our findings show that regular physical activity has a positive impact on the physical and mental health of young employees. Employers should therefore promote physical activity and sports programmes within their companies in order to improve quality of life at work, increase productivity and reduce healthcare costs. In addition, our findings encourage policy-makers to support sports initiatives in companies, particularly in industrial zones, to promote the overall health of employees.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis investigation, conducted among young Tunisian employees at regional level, shows significant differences between physically active and inactive groups in several dimensions of physical and mental health assessed by the SF-36. In the terms of the physical component, the results reveal that the p-values are less than 0.05 for the four subscales: General Health (GH), Functioning physical (PF), Physical Role (PR), and Bodily Pain (BP). This indicates that young employees who engage in regular physical activity perceive their overall health more positively, perceive themselves to have better physical functioning, experience fewer limitations in their daily and professional activities due to physical problems, and feel less impact of pain on their physical activities compared to non-practitioners. In sum, the global composite analysis of the physical component reveals a statistically significant difference (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), highlighting the better physical health of active individuals. With regard to the mental component, the p-values were less than 0.05 for three of the four subscales: Emotional Role (ER), Mental Health (MH) and Vitality (VT). This suggests that young employees practising regular physical activity have fewer emotional limitations in their daily and professional activities, better mental health and higher energy levels than non- practitioners. Nevertheless, for the Social Functioning (SF) subscale, the p-value was greater than 0.05, indicating that the difference between the groups was not significant for this specific dimension. But the global composite analysis of the mental component demonstrates a statistically significant difference (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), indicating a better mental health in active participants. This research confirms that regular physical activity promotes a better quality of life perceived by individuals, both physically and mentally.\u003c/p\u003e "},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDeclarations of interest\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthors declare no conflicts of interest.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFunding\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe work was conducted without external funding.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthors' contributionsAchref hasni: led the design and development of the research study. He was primarily responsible for interpreting the data and writing the manuscript. He is responsible for the integrity and accuracy of all the work, in particular overseeing data collection and analysis, and has also taken on the role of corresponding author.Hafsi bedhioufi: contributed significantly to the analysis and interpretation of the data. Hafsi is responsible for the analysis of the data and ensures its methodological rigour.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe would like to express our profound gratitude to all the participants in this study for their valuable time and engagement. Their contribution was essential to the success of this research.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSchubert A, Janu\u0026aacute;rio RSB, Casonatto J, Sonoo CN. Body image, nutritional status, abdominal strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness in children and adolescents practicing sports. 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Available online: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttp://www.ons-sport.tn/category/actualite/?lang=fr\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"http://www.ons-sport.tn/category/actualite/?lang=fr\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e, accessed on 30/07/2023.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003e National Institute of Statistics. General Census of Housing and Population. 2014. Available online: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttp://www.ins.nat.tn\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"http://www.ins.nat.tn\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e, accessed on 18/02/2023.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"physical activity, SF-36, mental health, physical health, young employees","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4977465/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4977465/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eObjectives\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis article examines the impact of regular physical activity on the health of young Tunisian employees.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study employed a cross-sectional design involving 400 young employees aged between 18 and 35 from a various field of work. Health status was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire, which evaluates the physical and mental components of health using eight subscales. Data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur analysis reveals significant differences between physically active and inactive employees (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). For the physical component, the General Health, Functioning Physical, Physical Role and Bodily Pain subscales revealed p-values of less than 0.05, indicating that physically active people perceive themselves as having better overall physical health. In terms of the mental component, the Emotional Role, Mental Health and Vitality subscales showed p-values of less than 0.05, indicating better mental and emotional health among practitioners. The Social Functioning subscale showed no significant difference, but the composite analysis of the mental component revealed a significant difference (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05).\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eOur research highlights the importance of regular physical activity in improving the physical and mental health of young employees.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The impact of regular physical activity on health-related quality of life among young employees","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-09-27 12:03:50","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4977465/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"36fb2f57-f604-454f-8899-2473b4dc5e23","owner":[],"postedDate":"September 27th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-03-09T00:08:17+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-09-27 12:03:50","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4977465","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4977465","identity":"rs-4977465","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}

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