Aim: The aim of this study is to compare the physical activity levels of intensive care, ward and administrative nurses and to examine whether these levels differ according to field of duty, smoking status and age.Material and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 105 nurses (21 administrative, 43 ward, 41 intensive care). Data were collected using the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) via an online survey. Physical activity levels were categorized according to the IPAQ scoring protocol. Nonparametric tests (Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H) were applied to assess differences by work unit, smoking status, and age.Results: Among the 105 participating nurses, 46 (43.81%) were classified as inactive, 44 (41.90%) as minimally active, and 15 (14,29%) as very active. Comparison of Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) scores showed no statistically significant differences between smokers and non-smokers (p=0.219). Likewise, no significant differences were observed across work units (administrative, ward, intensive care) or age categories (p=0.662).Conclusion: Nurses demonstrated generally high levels of physical inactivity regardless of their work unit, age, or smoking status, highlighting the need for interventions to promote active lifestyles in this professional group. These findings emphasize the importance of institutional support and targeted wellness programs to improve nurses’ physical activity and overall well-being.
Sav et al. (Sun,) studied this question.