The objective of the study was to investigate the career-choice motives for one's entering the prison service as an operational officer, and the level of physical fitness. The study was conducted in April 2015 and included 100 officers employed in Biała Podlaska prison. The examined group consisted of 93 males, aged 23-52, mean age 37.2, and 7 females aged 3-43, mean age 37.7 (30-43). 61 (61%) of the males were employed as security guards, while 39 persons (39%), including 7 females, as clerks in the administration section. The study methods included a physical fitness test consisting of 5 physical performance tests, recommended by the regulation of the Minister of Justice, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)-long-form, questions designed by the author of the paper. Career-choice motives turned out to be conditioned purely be economic incentives and the professions' stability as opposed to other professional specialities. The respondents were fit and engaged in numerous physical activates. The factors which significantly determined the level of one's fitness depended on age, education, a high self-report on physical fitness, total physical activity and the number of done sports. The originality of the study is based on investigating the condition of physical fitness of prison officers with the use of currently recommended assessment methods in Poland.
Study aim. The proper physical activity of prison staff is an indispensable component of their professional work. The purpose of the study was to: identify the level of physical activity of offi cers employed in the security department – protective specialization and others – administrative specialization, and demonstrate differences in their: free time, self-evaluation of physical fi tness, number of performed sports disciplines and BMI. Material and methods. The study was carried out in 2015 among 100 employees of the Biała Podlaska Penitentiary using the long-standing IPAQ questionnaire supplemented with original questions regarding amount of free time, self-evaluation of physical fi tness, number of performed sports as well as height and body mass. Results. In the distinguished groups of prison service offi cers (protective and administrative specializations), the desired direction of differences in physical activity was demonstrated in the absence of their relevance. Similar relationships were found in other positive health and lifestyle indicators. In this range of differences, attention is given to high body mass index (BMI), especially in the administrative specialization. Conclusions. 1. The offi cers of both specializations are characterized by high levels of physical activity. 2. The small number of performed sports appears to be a less favourable fact. 3. The occurrence of obesity in administrators should be a signal to implement lifestyle changes, including greater concern for physical activity and nutrition.
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