Physical Activity and Quality of Life of Higher Education Institution Teachers: Experience of Ukraine and Central European Countries
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29038/2220-7481-2025-02-45-55Keywords:
physical activity, quality of life, health, walking, academic staffAbstract
Relevance. Contemporary socio- economic challenges caused by the war in Ukraine significantly affect the professional activities and quality of life of academic staff. Under conditions of increasing psycho-emotional load, the study of physical activity levels becomes particularly relevant, as it represents one of the leading factors in maintaining health and strengthening resilience among educators. A comparison of Ukrainian teachers with colleagues from Central European universities provides a basis for identifying the influence of war-related and socio-cultural factors and for defining effective practices of well-being support in higher education. Purpose and Methods. The aim of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of physical activity levels and quality-of-life indicators among Ukrainian and European academic staff. The study involved 76 teachers from higher education institutions in Ukraine, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Physical activity was assessed using the standardized International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), while health-related quality of life was measured with the validated SF-36 scale. Statistical analysis included the Mann–Whitney U test, ANOVA, and Spearman’s correlation to examine intergroup and gender differences as well as associations between physical activity and quality of life. Results and Conclusions. Ukrainian academic staff demonstrated high levels of physical activity, though significantly lower than their Central European counterparts. Ukrainian women reported notably lower indicators of physical and emotional functioning, likely due to war-related stressors. Conversely, European teachers showed a more balanced structure of physical activity and no significant gender differences. In both groups, walking played a key role, correlating positively with physical and psycho-emotional components of quality of life. These findings confirm the need for targeted programs to support physical activity, especially for Ukrainian female teachers, in order to reduce psycho-emotional strain and enhance quality-of-life indicators.
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