Attitudes and a Pattern of Exercise for Working Women in Loeng Nok Tha District,Yasothon (ทัศนคติและรูปแบบการออกกำลังกายของสตรีวัยทำงาน อำเภอเลิงนกทา จังหวัดยโสธร)

This research was aimed to evaluate the exercise situation of working class women in Loeng Nok Tha District, Yasothon, 2003. Additionally, some attitudes toward the exercise activities and all enquiries were assessed via questionnaire survey. There were totally 347 volunteers enrolled on this project; mostly were 38.3 years of age. Eighty one percent were married and around 66.6 percent of them had a secondary level of education. The majorities were farmers (68.3%) as well as housewife with an average incomes of less than 2,000 baht (48.7%). Approximately, twenty seven percent of volunteers had some medical problems; especially gastrointestinal disorders, whereas about sixty percent proclaimed that they were healthy. They also were members of Health Promotion Clubs;adopting aerobic dance (70.6%) The results also showed that most favorite exercises were aerobic dance, brisk walking, jogging,and stretching consecutively (73.77, 45.53, 40.34, and 42.07%, respectively). The intensity of exercises showed that it was between moderate and high level. Volunteers usually worked out 3 times a week with less than 30 minutes compared to the standard rules of exercise of Ministry of Public Health, (p<0.001). Only frequency and intensity of their execise met the standard. Additionally,the suitable time for exercising was in late afternoon. Their attitudes related to perception,sensation, and tendency on exercise were rather good. Forty nine point nine percent and 58.8 percent of them wanted to exercise and advisers/trainers. The request for government supports were spelled out by 57.3 percent of them. Their social status had showed relationship with the attitudes and had also a significant relationship with the requirement for exercise (p<0.05). The style of exercise, either single or group patterns, depended on type of exercise, various types, supportive area, and advisers/trainers. The range of the required exercise from high to low were aerobic dance,brisk walking, jogging, and stretching. For the success and continuity of physical activity for health,government should provide a support for arrangement of the advisers/trainers, supportive area and some equipments as well as more financial support. Key words: working woman, concepts of exercise preferences, attitudes toward exercises