PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to measure physical activity levels and job satisfaction scores of certified Athletic Trainers and look for a potential correlation, then compare scores to employment settings and other variables.
METHOD: Two hundred eighty six certified Athletic Trainers who were members of the NATA voluntarily participated in a descriptive type of research study. The Baecke Questionnaire of Habitual Physical Activity invented by Jos Baecke and the Job Satisfaction Survey© invented by Paul E. Spector were used. The data was analyzed by a Pearson Product Moment Correlation and a factorial MANOVA. Significance was set at alpha level .05.
FINDINGS: There was an insignificant weak positive correlation between physical fitness scores and job satisfaction scores. There was no significant difference between job settings for fitness and job satisfaction scores.
CONCLUSION: Athletic Training is a field that carries a higher burnout rate and lower job satisfaction than other allied healthcare professions. It is imperative that individuals in this field find time in their schedule to care for themselves and their health. Further research needs to look into other variables that may be causing high burnout and low job satisfaction.