Quality of life with respect to physical activity level in the unemployed

Abstract

Sustainable development is related to the quality of life of individuals and societies. The unemployed have limited opportunities for sustainable individual development. Their life quality conditions remain unclear. The study aim was to assess the relationship between life quality and physical activity level of the unemployed. The research was performed in 2014 and 2015 in Wroclaw, Poland, among 403 unemployed persons. The participants' quality of life was evaluated with the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire. Physical activity was assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Most respondents evaluated their general life quality as ≤3 points in the scale of 1-5. The assessments were highest in the social and psychological domains and lowest in the physical and environmental domains. Significant relationships were observed between general life quality and physical activity level. Subjects with the minimum physical activity level recommended by WHO presented higher life quality assessments in the psychological and social domains. Unemployed people with physical activity levels optimal for health benefit evaluated their life quality in the psychological domain worse than people with physical activity below WHO recommendations. Comprehensive health programs should be addressed to the unemployed, including systematic physical activities as health training, which would improve their life quality and promote sustainable individual development.