Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices toward Physical Activity among Public Sector Librarians in Brunei Darussalam

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4878236/v1

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Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices toward Physical Activity among Public Sector Librarians in Brunei Darussalam

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4878236/v1

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One in four adults globally has an insufficient level of physical activity (PA). Librarians, due to the sedentary nature of their profession, are at risk. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward PA among public sector librarians in Brunei Darussalam. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated questionnaire. A total of 194 participants completed the survey (71.85%). The findings revealed good knowledge (mean 8.71, SD 1.12), poor attitudes (mean 35.63, SD 3.97), and satisfactory practices (mean 23.49, SD 3.18) toward PA. Multiple linear regression revealed several key findings. Librarians with higher education had higher knowledge scores (P = 0.046, t = 2.01, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.64) than did those who completed secondary education, and librarians who did not engage in PA (P = 0.009, t = -2.64, 95% CI: 2.64) had lower knowledge scores than did those who engaged in PA. Compared with their male counterparts. female librarians had lower attitude scores (P = 0.003, t = -3.00, 95% CI: -3.84, -0.79). Older age groups 40–49 years (P = 0.014, t = 1.62, 95% CI: -0.24, 3.41) and 50–60 years (P = 0.023, t = 2.46, 95% CI: 0.34, 3.14) had higher practice scores than did the other age groups, and librarians who did not engage in PA tended to have lower practice scores than did those who did not (P = 0.000, t = -3.52, 95% CI: -2.81, -0.79). Future research and policy could focus on developing tailored interventions and wellness programme for PAs.

Epidemiology

Occupational Medicine

Knowledge

Attitude

Practice

Physical Activity

Librarian

Globally, one in four adults do not engage in sufficient physical activity, making this lack of physical activity (PA) a significant public health issue (World Health Organization 2020). Librarian occupations are defined as sedentary (U.S. Office of Personnel Management 1994). Research has shown that sedentary behaviors (SB) are linked to a low level of physical activity (Mansoubi et al. 2014). Individuals who have a sedentary job are more likely to have a sedentary lifestyle and engage in less mild physical exercise during their nonwork hours (Parry et al. 2013). A lack of PA is cited as a contributing factor to various health issues, such as mortality, cardiovascular disease, hypertension development, specific types of cancers occurrence, incident type II diabetes, mental health issues (symptoms of anxiety and depression), cognitive decline, sleep disorders, and high levels of body fat (World Health Organization 2020). This could also result in escalated government healthcare expenses for the management of these diseases and impose social challenges on those who suffer from them (Malm et al. 2019).

The focus of our study is closely connected to Brunei Darussalam’s national vision, Wawasan 2035, the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) 17, and the Brunei Ministry of Health’s aspiration in the PA through its National Physical Activity Guidelines.

Wawasan Brunei 2035 aspires for the nation to be widely recognized for its educated, highly skilled, and accomplished people, enjoying a high quality of life and sustaining a dynamic economy (Prime Minister Office 2023). Central to achieving this vision is the promotion of health and well-being to achieve a high quality of life. This study aligns with this national strategy by aiming to improve overall health and quality of life through research on PAs. Accordingly, fostering a culture of PA through research contributes to the development of a healthier, more productive workforce, essential for realizing the Wawasan Brunei 2035 objectives.

The World Health Organization's Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030 envisions 'more active people for a healthier world', which aims to reduce the global prevalence of physical inactivity among adults and adolescents by 2030 (World Health Organisation 2018). Our study supports this global initiative by focusing on a specific professional group within Brunei Darussalam. By examining the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward PA among public sector librarians, this study provides insights that can help tailor interventions to increase physical activity levels within this community, thereby contributing to the global effort to combat physical inactivity.

Moreover, our study is also associated with the UN SDGs, particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being, stressing the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles for people (Nash et. al. 2019). This study aligns with this goal by seeking to understand and enhance PA knowledge, attitudes, and practices among public sector librarians in Brunei Darussalam. By identifying barriers and facilitators of PA within this population, this study will help to influence policies and initiatives that can increase the health and well-being of these individuals, thereby contributing to the broader aims of the UN SDGs and assisting the country’s SDG journey as it is led by its national vision.

The Brunei Ministry of Health’s National Physical Activity Guidelines call for investment in research to better understand physical activity patterns among Bruneians (Ministry of Health 2022). Our study directly responds to this call by investigating a section of sedentary workers in the country, whose research can be used as reference for a study of other sedentary workers in the future. In Brunei Darussalam, a quarter of adults did not meet the minimum standards of the WHO guidelines for PAs (Ministry of Health 2022). Additionally, no study has specifically researched a particular sedentary occupation in this country. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the KAP towards PA among public sector Librarians in Brunei Darussalam.

Study design and sample

This was a cross-sectional study specifically targeted librarians working within various government and public institutions across the country. Participants in this study were adults aged between 18 and 60 years who were employed as public sector librarians fluent in English or Malay; and who were willing to participate in this study. Among the exclusion criteria are not working in a library environment and not being a librarian. The data were collected via an online survey that was distributed and collected effectively via the Qualtrics platform. For the survey administration, a focal personal was appointed from libraries that gave permission for this study to be undertaken, where participants are identifiable only via code ID.

Data collection procedure

There are 331 librarians working in the public sector as of 2022 (Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei 2022). To recruit participants, the sampling technique was based on convenience sampling, which involved recruiting all eligible potential respondents through focal persons from the respective libraries. Participants were given a comprehensive description of the study’s objectives, and those who agreed to participate were informed that their responses would be kept confidential by the research team.

Data collection instrument

The questionnaire used to assess this study was adapted from a study conducted by Ramautar et al., (2021). The questionnaire underwent translation, pretesting, and validation.

Ethical Approval

Ethics approval was obtained from the Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Saadatul Bolkiah (PAPRSB) Institute of Health Science Research Ethics Committee (IHSREC) (Reference: UBD/PAPRSBIHSREC/2023/76).

Statistical analysis

In this study, the data were analyzed using RStudio version 4.3.2. Knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were calculated by assigning points according to a method used in a previous study (Ramautar et al. 2021). For knowledge responses, one point was assigned for each correct answer and zero points were assigned for incorrect answers. Scores above 80% were considered excellent, 60% to 79% good, 50% to 59% some knowledge, and less than 49% poor knowledge. All the statements in Table 3 are correct, and each correct response was given one point. For example, if a participant agreed that all the knowledge statements were correct, the score calculation would be 11 out of 11 multiplied by 100, equaling 100%. Data on attitudes and practices were collected using a five-point Likert scale. A five-point scale was given for “strongly agree”, "agree" four points, "neutral" three points, "disagree" two points, and "strongly disagree" one point. A score above 60% was considered satisfactory, while a score below 59% was deemed unsatisfactory (Ramautar et al. 2021).

Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the sociodemographic characteristics. All variables are categorical and were measured in terms of their frequencies and percentages. The means of the sociodemographic variables were compared with the KAP scores using independent t-tests and one-way ANOVA. Independent t-tests were used for variables with two categorical groups, while one-way ANOVA was used for variables with three or more categorical groups. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significancw.

Three specific conditions were used to when conducting an independent t-test and one-way ANOVA. First, the sample must be representative and randomly selected. Second, each group consisted of a minimum of 30 samples, unless the data were manually distributed across the groups. Third, it is important that the standard deviation (SD) does not exhibit a significant difference (Triola et al. 2017). Within this study, certain sociodemographic variables, such as job position and education, had categorical groups that did not meet the minimum requirement of 30 samples. Consequently, the two variables are transformed into binary categories. The job position is recoded as either officers or non-officers, while education is recoded as either having completed secondary education or having higher education. Within the Brunei Public Service job scheme, Division I, II, and III are classified as officer level positions, while Division IV and V are classified as non-officer level positions, specifically as support staff (Brunei Resources 2005). Multiple linear regression analysis was further conducted to evaluate the association between sociodemographic variables with KAP related to PA, and P < 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance

Table 1: Sociodemographic characteristics of participants

	N	(%)
Age (Years)
18-29	30	15.5
30-39	65	33.7
40-49	50	25.9
50-60	48	24.9
Gender
Male	30	15.46
Female	164	84.54
Job Category
Division I	1	0.51
Division II	20	10.31
Division III	34	17.63
Division IV	119	61.34
Division V	20	10.31
Education
Secondary	115	59.28
Diploma	57	29.38
Bachelor Degree	14	7.22
Master Degree	7	4.12
PhD	1
PA Engagement
Yes	147	75.77
No	47	24.23

The survey reached 270 librarians, 194 (71.85%) of who completed the survey. Nine librarians chose not to participate, and 67 did not finish their surveys. The majority of the respondents were female (84.54%), held non-officer level positions (71.65%), and had completed secondary education (59.28%). Additionally, most of the librarians engaged in PA (75.77%) (Table 1).

Table 2: Participants’ knowledge of physical activity

Statement	No. participants who agreed with the statement
	n	%
Regular physical activity helps maintain one’s body weight	189	97.42
Regular physical activity can help improve health	187	96.39
Regular physical activity does not increase the risk of developing depression and anxiety	184	94.85
One should engage in moderate-intensity exercise for 30 min on 5 days per week, to main good health (e.g. brisk walking, swimming, volleyball)	180	92.78
Regular physical activity can prevent heart disease	177	91.24
Regular physical activity decreases cholesterol and blood pressure	176	90.72
One should engage in vigorous-intensity exercises for 20 min on 3 days per week, to maintain good health (E.g. running, soccer)	174	89.69
Regular physical activity does not increase the risk of developing diabetes Type 2	161	82.99
Regular physical activity can cause a drastic drop in blood pressure	146	75.26
Regular physical activity reduces the risk of getting osteoporosis	145	74.74
Regular physical activity does not increase the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS	125	64.43

The majority of participants reported that regular PA can prevent heart disease (91.24%) and improve health (96.39%). In addition, more than 90% of the participants reported that regular PA does not increase the risk of developing depression or anxiety, helps to maintain body weight; decreases cholesterol and blood pressure, and encourages individuals to engage in moderate-intensity exercise for 30 min on 5 days per week, to maintain good health (e.g. brisk walking, swimming, volleyball) (Table 2).

Table 3: Participants’ attitudes toward physical activity

Statement	Strongly agree (%)	Agree (%)	Neutral (%)	Disagree (%)	Strongly Disagree (%)
I would engage in more physical activity if I had more time	34.20	52.85	9.84	2.59	0.52
We should not rely on our workplace to provide us with incentive to exercise	20.73	52.33	23.31	2.07	1.55
I would engage in more physical activity if I had more motivation from my colleagues	26.94	49.22	20.21	2.60	1.04
It is important for me to be physically healthy.	48.70	45.60	5.70	0	0
Exercise provides many benefits, no matter what age we start.	53.89	44.56	1.55	0	0
I would engage in physical activity if my workplace had facilities, e.g. a gymnasium, wellness programme	30.57	41.45	24.87	2.07	1.04
There are many more important things in life than being physically active	18.65	37.82	30.57	11.92	1.04
A reward programme at work would be an incentive for me to be more physically active	28.50	32.64	30.57	7.25	1.04
I am happy with my current body weight	2.59	20.21	37.82	28.50	10.88
My family history will determine what disease I get, so it does not matter If I exercise or not.	9.84	15.54	31.60	34.20	8.81
Exercising is expensive, and only wealthy people can afford to do it	6.22	13.99	31.09	36.79	11.92
Fat people are healthier people	2.07	5.70	24.35	44.56	23.31

Table 4: Participants’ practices of physical activity

Statement	Strongly agree (%)	Agree (%)	Neutral (%)	Disagree (%)	Strongly Disagree (%)
I engage in exercise for pleasure, not only for benefits.	11.40	63.21	20.73	4.66	0
I get all the exercise I need from just doing normal activities.	9.84	53.89	30.05	4.66	1.55
I intend to start doing more physical activity in the next 6 months.	15.03	48.70	33.68	1.55	1.04
I engage in moderate-intensity sports for 30 min more than 5 times a week (e.g brisk walking, dancing)	7.25	35.75	39.90	12.44	4.66
I engage in the right amount of physical activity	3.11	28.50	52.33	15.03	1.04
I engage in vigorous intensity for 20 min, 3-5 times a week (e.g running, soccer)	4.66	25.39	45.08	19.17	5.70
I have a medical condition that prevents me from engage in physical activity	3.63	15.02	41.97	32.12	7.25

The majority of participants reported that exercise has many health benefits (98.45%) and that they need to be physically healthy (94.30%). However, 87.05% of respondents indicated that they had no time to engage in physical activity (PA). Additionally, 72.02% of participants would engage in PA if their workplace provided facilities such as a gym. Furthermore, 76.16% lacked the motivation to perform PA, and 61.14% stated that they would be more physically active if their workplace had an incentive such as a reward program (Table 3).

Only 31.61% of the participants admitted that they engaged in the right amount of PA, but 63.73% of the participants intended to start engaging in more PA in the next six months. Only 30.05% of participants engaged in vigorous PA for 20 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week and 43% engaged in moderate intensity PA for 30 minutes more than 5 times a week (Table 4).

This study revealed that librarians knowledge of PAs was good, where the mean knowledge score was 8.71 (SD= 1.12) indicating an overall percentage of correct scores answers of 79.18% (8.71/11*100) on this knowledge test. Knowledge scores significantly differed across librarians who engaged in PA (P = 0.034). With regard to attitude, the mean attitude score was unsatisfactory, with a mean of 35.63 (SD: 3.97), suggesting an overall of 59.38% (35.63/60*100). The attitude score was significantly different between males and females (P = 0.003). In addition, the mean practices score was satisfactory, where the mean practices score was 23.49 (SD: 3.18) with an overall score of 67.11% (23.49/35*100) (Table 5).

Table 6 presents the results of an MLR analysis examining sociodemographic variables and their association with KAP toward PA toward public sector librarians. The analysis revealed several significant findings. Librarians who had completed higher education (P = 0.046, b = 0.32, 95% CI= 0.01, 0.64) and had PA engagement (P = 0.009, b = -0.49, 95% CI= -0.85. -0.12) showed notable relationships with knowledge scores related to PA. Specifically, librarians with higher education have knowledge scores approximately 0.325 points higher than those who completed secondary education. Additionally, librarians who do not engage in PA have knowledge scores approximately 0.488 points lower than those who do engage in PA. However, no statistically significant differences were found between age, gender and job positions and PA knowledge. However, no statistically significant differences were found between age, gender, and job position regarding knowledge levels related to PA. With these two significant variables, the model explained 4% of the variation in the knowledge scores in the study sample (R² = 0.04).

Table 5: Participants’ mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practices towards physical activity

		Knowledge Score			Attitude Score			Practice Score
Variables	n	Mean (SD)	**F stat^a / t stat**^b	P	Mean (SD)	F stat^a / t stat^b	P	Mean (SD)	F stat^a / / t stat^b	P
Age (Years)
18-29	30	8.63 (1.40)	0.61^a (3, 190)	0.609	35.77 (2.99)	0.14^a (3, 97)	0.933	22.30 (3.17)	2.13 ^a (3, 190)	0.097
30-39	65	8.85 (1.11)			35.85 (4.64)			23.35 (3.42)
40-49	50	8.72 (0.95)			35.34 (4.30)			23.94 (2.90)
50-60	49	8.57 (1.14)			35.59 (3.21)			23.94 (3.02)
Gender
Male	30	8.97 (0.61)	1.35^b (192)	0.176	37.60 (3.90)	3.00^b (192)	0.003^c	23.40 (3.01)	-0.17^b (192)	0.867
Female	164	8.67 (1.19)	1.35^b (192)	0.176	35.28 (3.89)	3.00^b (192)	0.003^c	23.51 (3.22)	-0.17^b (192)	0.867
Job Category
Officer Level	55	8.76 (1.09)	0.40^b (192)	0.684	36.15 (3.73)	1.12^b (192)	0.265	22.80 (3.27)	-1.91^b (192)	0.057
Non-Officer Level	139	8.69 (1.14)	0.40^b (192)	0.684	35.44 (4.06)	1.12^b (192)	0.265	23.76 (3.12)	-1.91^b (192)	0.057
Education
Secondary	115	8.59 (1.24)	-1.81^b (192)	0.072	35.46 (4.04)	-0.75^b (192)	0.452	23.90 (3.04)	2.16^b (192)	0.032^c
Higher Edu (Diploma and above)	79	8.89 (0.91)	-1.81^b (192)	0.072	35.90 (3.87)	-0.75^b (192)	0.452	22.90 (3.31)	2.16^b (192)	0.032^c
PA Engagement
Yes	147	8.82 (1.03)	2.16^b (192)	0.034^c	35.65 (3.86)	0.09^b (192)	0.932	23.91 (3.16)	3.35^b (192)	0.000^c
No	47	8.36 (1.34)	2.16^b (192)	0.034^c	35.60 (4.35)	0.09^b (192)	0.932	22.17 (2.89)	3.35^b (192)	0.000^c
Mean Score		8.71 (1.12)			35.63 (3.97)			23.49 (3.18)

^aANOVA

^bChi Square Test

^cStatistical significance (P < 0.05)

In terms of attitude, a significant linear relationship was observed between female librarians and their attitude scores (P = 0.003, b = -2.32, 95% CI: -3.82, -0.80). Specifically, female librarians exhibited attitude scores approximately 2.32 points lower than those of their male counterparts. This model explained 4% of the variation in knowledge scores in the study sample (R² = 0.04) with gender being the only significant variable.

Regarding practice, significant linear relationships were found between older groups of librarians aged 40-49 years (P = 0.014, b = 1.74, 95% CI: -0.23, 3.41) and 50-60 years (P = 0.023, b = 1.63, 95% CI: 0.23, 3.02), as well as between librarians who did not engage in PA (P = 0.000, b = -1.80, 95% CI: -2.81, -0.79) and practice scores of PA. Librarians in the 40 – 49 years age group had practice scores 1.74 points higher than those in the reference group, and librarians in this age group had practice scores 1.63 points higher compared to the reference group. Additionally, librarians aged group 30 – 39 also had practice scores 1.08 points higher compared than those of reference group, but the difference was not statistically significant. Librarians who did not engage in PA had practice scores approximately 1.80 points lower than those who did engage in PA. In other words, this finding suggests that librarians who do not engage in PA tend to have lower practice scores. With these two significant variables, the model explains 11% of variation of the knowledge scores in the study sample (R² = 0.11).

KAP towards PA varies greatly depending on sociodemographic variables. To the best of our knowledge, there are no previous studies specifically targeting KAP toward PA among librarians, making direct comparisons challenging. This is the first study in Brunei Darussalam to highlight specific sedentary occupations, specifically public sector librarians’ KAP toward PA. Nonetheless, it is possible to draw parallels with studies conducted in other occupational groups and settings. The initial findings of our study revealed that librarians’ mean PA knowledge score was good, their PA attitude was slightly poor, and their PA practices were satisfactory.

Our study revealed that librarians who completed higher education and engaged in PA had higher knowledge scores. Male librarians had higher attitude scores than female librarians. Older librarians (40–49 and 50–60 years old) and those who engaged in PA exhibited higher practice scores.

Our study revealed that librarians who completed higher education demonstrated had higher knowledge scores. Our findings are consistent with those of prior observational studies, which revealed an association between high education attainment and knowledge scores related to PA. For example, a study conducted among hospital-based staff in South Africa revealed that higher education is positively related to high knowledge scores about PA. However, in South Africa having better knowledge of PAs did not translate into participants having practices related to PAs (Ramautar et al. 2021). In addition, a study among type II diabetes patients in Hong Kong revealed an association between high education level and PA knowledge score (Hui et al. 2014).

Our study also revealed that librarians who engaged in PA demonstrated greater knowledge about PA than did those who did not engage in it. This observation aligns with findings from a study conducted in Tanzania among adult diabetes patients, where high levels of PA correlated with both high levels of knowledge and positive attitudes toward PA (Mwimo et al. 2021). These results were supported by a study conducted among university staff and Australian students who found that people who are actively engaged in PA are associated with knowledge about the benefits of the PA (Fredriksson et al. 2018).

Interestingly, despite the large number of female respondents in our study, female librarians were found to have lower attitudes towards PA than male librarians. This finding is consistent with the findings of other studies conducted in Iran and Portugal, which revealed more positive attitudes toward PAs among males than among females (Ramezankhani et al., 2013; Araújo and Dosil 2015). These findings collectively suggest a consistent pattern across different populations, highlighting gender disparities in attitudes toward PA. One possible explanation for the lower attitudes toward PA among females could be attributed to factors such as time constraints and cultural perceptions in Asian societies, where physical activity is sometimes considered a lower priority (16).

Although some studies have shown that, in general, PA tends to slow with age (Suryadinata et al. 2020; Kapoor et al. 2022), our study revealed that older age groups of librarians (40–49 and 50–60 years) exhibited higher practice scores. Similar findings were observed in a cross-sectional study among adults in the UK, in which adults aged 40 to 49 and 50–59 years were found to be associated with high intensity PA (Luo and Lee 2022). However, according to Luo & Lee, 2022, middle adulthood is the stage that musculoskeletal health starts to show significant deterioration. They suggest that PAs to be maintained at this age to minimize the likelihood of deterioration in later life.

Moreover, our study showed that librarians who engaged in PA had higher PA practice scores. This finding translates to the idea that people with knowledge of the benefits of PA tend to be more physically active (Fredriksson et al. 2018), more than half of the librarians in this study agreed with this statement.

Our study showed that the mean PA knowledge score among librarians was quite good. A similar result was found among bankers who also had sedentary jobs in Nigeria (Okafor et al. 2020). Similarly, research among hospital-based staff in South Africa found that they had excellent knowledge of PA (Ramautar et al. 2021). These findings suggest that professional roles involving public service, regardless of whether the individuals are sedentary, such as librarians or bankers, or more active such as hospital-based staff, share a similar level of PA knowledge.

Surprisingly, despite their sedentary roles, librarians were found to have a satisfactory level of PA practices, contrasting with the lower PA practices observed among bankers in Nigeria and hospital-based staff in South Africa. This highlights how different occupational settings can influence the extent to which individuals engage in PA. In terms of attitudes, however, our study showed that the majority of librarians had a poor attitude toward PA, which contrasts with the positive attitudes reported by bankers in Nigeria and hospital-based staff in South Africa. The differences observed in our study can be attributed to a lack of time and motivation toward PA among librarians.

Our study revealed that individuals who engaged in PA demonstrated greater knowledge about PA than did those who did not participate. This observation aligns with findings from a study conducted in Tanzania among adult diabetes patients, where high levels of PA correlated with both high levels of knowledge and positive attitudes toward PA (Mwimo et al. 2021). Similarly, our results show that physically active individuals tend to have a more comprehensive understanding of the benefits of PA than to their less active counterparts.

Our findings showed that male librarians had higher attitude scores in PA than female librarians did. This finding is similar to that of a study conducted among college students in Iran and Portugal, whose findings revealed more positive attitudes from males toward PAs than from female students (Ramezankhani et al., 2013; Araújo and Dosil 2015).

Our study showed that librarians who had completed secondary education and participated in PA had higher practice scores than did those who had higher education. A study conducted among adults in Malaysia showed that individuals with higher education levels were less likely to participate in any form of PA (Cai Lian et al. 2016). The study claimed that this pattern is driven by societal norms, in which PA is not given priority, and variables such as time limitations (Cai Lian et al. 2016). These findings emphasize the complex relationship between educational attainment and engagement in PA, indicating that having a higher degree of education does not always result in a higher level of PA.

STUDY Limitations

This study has several limitations. First, this study is based on self-reported data, which means that it may be subject to social desirability bias. Second, this study investigated on public sector librarians in Brunei Darussalam, which may not be generalizable to other types of occupational groups.

In summary, this study provides insights into the KAP related to PAs among public sector librarians in Brunei Darussalam. This study has several significant relationships. In terms of knowledge of PAs, librarians with higher education levels demonstrated significantly greater knowledge scores about PAs than did those with only secondary education. Librarians who engaged in PA were positively associated with higher knowledge scores. Regarding attitudes, female librarians exhibited significantly lower attitude scores toward PAs than did their male counterparts. Regarding practices, older librarians, particularly those aged 40–49 and 50–60 years, exhibited significantly greater practice scores than did the reference group. Additionally, librarians who did not engage in PA had significantly lower practices scores than did those who did.

This study can be used to formulate suitable measures to increase the KAP of PAs among librarians. Future research and policy could focus on developing tailored interventions, such as PA interventions or wellness programmes, to enhance PA knowledge among librarians with secondary education or PA practice for different age groups, and to improve the attitudes of female librarians toward PA such as female-focused PA programmess. Policymakers can use this study to advocate policies that support a culture of PA within workplace such as providing workout facilities or organizing regular PA events. In addition, longitudinal studies could be useful to understand long-term impact of PA interventions on KAP. By implementing these recommendations, this study can support to the goals of Wawasan Brunei 2035.

Conflict of Interest

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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Table 6 is available in the Supplementary Files section.

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices toward Physical Activity among Public Sector Librarians in Brunei Darussalam

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