The impact of regular physical activity on health-related quality of life among young employees

Objectives This article examines the impact of regular physical activity on the health of young Tunisian employees. Methods This study employed a cross-sectional design involving 400 young employees aged between 18 and 35 from a various field of work. Health status was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire, which evaluates the physical and mental components of health using eight subscales. Data were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results Our analysis reveals significant differences between physically active and inactive employees (p < 0.05). For the physical component, the General Health, Functioning Physical, Physical Role and Bodily Pain subscales revealed p-values of less than 0.05, indicating that physically active people perceive themselves as having better overall physical health. In terms of the mental component, the Emotional Role, Mental Health and Vitality subscales showed p-values of less than 0.05, indicating better mental and emotional health among practitioners. The Social Functioning subscale showed no significant difference, but the composite analysis of the mental component revealed a significant difference (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our research highlights the importance of regular physical activity in improving the physical and mental health of young employees.