Investigating the Factors Related to Physical Activity of Working Women in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran: Application of the Health Action Process Approach

Abstract

Background: Regarding the prevalence of inactivity among women, mainly working women (affected by a vast network of psychosocial causes) and its individual, family, and social risks and complications, the present study was conducted to determine the factors related to physical activity in working women in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran, using the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA). Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 350 women working in the university. The quota sampling method was used in this research. The data were measured with a questionnaire containing demographic information and structures of the motivational and volitional stages of the HAPA model and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (shortened version), and analyzed using Pearson/Spearman correlation coefficients and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) in SPSS software. Findings: About half of women participating in the study were in the sedentary group. There was a statistically significant correlation between all HAPA model constructs and women's physical activity; the highest correlation was with the action planning construct. Three constructs of action planning (β = 1.379, P < 0.001), risk perception (β = 0.472, P < 0.001), and action self-efficacy (β = 0.544, P < 0.001) were predictors of physical activity behavior. The expectation of the outcome of married women was more than that of single women, and perception of risk and expectation of the outcome of faculty women was more than that of female employees. Conclusion: To improve the physical activity of working women, it is recommended that the HAPA model be used and more emphasis be placed on the structures of action planning, risk perception, and action self-efficacy in interventions. © 2026, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.