ENSURING QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EMPLOYEES THROUGH PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AS PREVENTIVE MEDICINE TOOL AGAINST NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES IN NIGERIA

Physical activity is one of the effective preventive medicine tools against diseases especially noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as stroke, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis, among others. The high level of absenteeism, low productivity and high medical cost incurred by employees can be prevented or controlled with workplace physical activity, sport and fitness programmes. Involvement in appropriate regular physical activity will contribute to quantity and quality of life of employees. However, some employees are found being physically inactive due to some challenges such as lack, inadequate, and poor implementation of workplace physical activity and sport programmes and policies; lack or inadequate fitness centres in workplaces; lack or inadequate workplace physical activity and sport programmes, and lack or poor implementation of research findings and recommendations about physical activity, sport and NCDs by employers and employees. Others include lukewarm or negative attitude of workers towards physical activity and sport; workers' ignorance of the benefits of physical activity and sport in relation to NCDs; lack of experts' guidance on the frequency, intensity, time, and type of physical activity for workers; lack, inadequate, inproximity, inaccessibility, and poor condition of physical activity and sport facilities and equipment for workers, and lack or inadequate physical activity and sport experts in workplaces. Based on some of the identified challenges, and in attempt to ensure employees' quantity and quality of life through physical activity, necessary recommendations were made.