Anaesthesia--a sedentary specialty? Accelerometer assessment of the activity level of anaesthetists while at work.

Abstract

Current guidance recommends that all adults should take a minimum of 10,000 steps a day to remain healthy. We assessed the activity levels of 45 anaesthetists while at work, using accelerometers. These devices also allowed us to measure sitting, standing and walking time--features of the working day that are also likely to contribute to health and well-being. In addition, each anaesthetist was asked to guess how many steps they had taken and complete a questionnaire assessing current activity levels. Median (IQR [range]) number of steps taken per day at work was 3694 (2435-4646 [1444-7712]). Almost all anaesthetists underestimated the number of steps they had taken. We concluded that no anaesthetists in our study were able to take the recommended 10,000 steps solely during their working day. A concerted effort is required in recreational time to ensure anaesthetists stay fit and healthy.