Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and physical fitness : associations with cardio-metabolic health outcomes
Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Approximately 3.2 million people die of non-communicable diseases (NCD) each year due to insufficient physical activity.Physical activity guidelines are possibly perceived as too demanding and might thus pose a barrier.We addressed the question if a more stable physical activity pattern is associated with higher levels of health-related fitness than one with high and low intensities, regardless of the physical activity level (PAL).Physical activity was objectively measured in 296 men and women (53.7 ± 8.94 years) with the SenseWear Pro Armband®.Using this data, the PAL and a Gini index were calculated to report the physical activity pattern.Health-related fitness was expressed as a fitness index.PAL was weakly correlated to healthrelated fitness (r = 0.38, P < .0001).The Gini index was also weakly correlated to the fitness index (r = 0.23, P < .0001).Results of the ANCOVA showed that participants in the first quartile of PAL always scored significantly lower for health-related fitness than participants in quartile four, after adjustment for the Gini index.These results suggest that as long as the volume of physical activity is high, health-related fitness will be high as well, independent of the physical activity pattern or variability in intensities throughout the day.
Author: Sara Knaeps
Language: English
Topic: Physical Activity and Health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2567377689