Physical inactivity, and its association with hypertension among employees in the district of Colombo

Abstract Background Physical inactivity is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and is a major public health problem. Insufficient activity is responsible for a large proportion of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension. Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess socioeconomic variations in physical activity and to measure the association between physical inactivity and hypertension among government officials in Sri Lanka. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out among 275 senior-officers(SOs) and 760 managerial-assistants(MAs) aged 30–60 years and attached to Public Administration institutions in Colombo District in Sri Lanka. Physical-activity(PA) was gathered using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire(IPAQ) adopted and validated to the Sri Lankan context. Blood pressure(measured and classified using JNC-7 guidelines) and anthropometric indices were recorded. Energy utilization of all vigorous and moderated PA and walking was expressed as metabolic-equivalent-of-task(MET) min per week. A total-MET-score was calculated and categorized based on IPAQ guidelines. Results Socioeconomic variations in PA levels were observed as 58.1%(n = 158) SOs and 30.6%(n = 226) MAs were involved in inadequate PA. Among the SOs diagnosed with hypertension, more half(59.1%; n = 52) were physically inactive, while among MAs, 65.9%(n = 143) with hypertension were physically inactive. After adjusting for potential confounding factors being physically inactive was associated with a higher risk of hypertension among SOs[OR 2.08 [95% CI 1.07, 4.6] and MAs[OR 2.8 [95% CI 1.8, 4.6]. The main modality of commuting to work for SOs(59%) was private transport, and MAs(64%) public transport Commuting distance was positively correlated(p < 0.05) with total transport MET among SOs and MAs. After adjusting for confounders, commuting distance of > 20 km was found to lower the odds of hypertension among SOs and MAs(OR = 0.713; 95% CI 0.4 to1.3; and OR = 0.63; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.87). Conclusion Despite the current knowledge that being physically active promotes health, the practice was different. Physical inactivity was associated with hypertension and prevalent among both SOs and MAs. Higher commuting distance is positively correlated with total transport MET and associated with lower odds of hypertension among SOs and MAs. Longitudinal studies are required to provide a causative association between physical inactivity and hypertension among these employees.

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Physical Inactivity, and Its Association with Hypertension Among Employees in the District of Colombo

10.21203/rs.3.rs-558775/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anuji Upekshika Gamage ◽

Rohini de Alwis Seneviratne

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Energy Utilization ◽

Moderate Activity ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Lower Odds ◽

Total Transport ◽

Commuting Distance

Abstract Background: Physical inactivity is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and is a major public health problem. Insufficient activity is responsible for a large proportion of non-communicable diseases such as hypertensionObjectives: The purpose of this study was to assess socio-economic variations in physical activity and to measure the association between physical-inactivity and hypertension among government officials in Sri Lanka.Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 275 senior-officers(SOs) and 760 managerial-assistants(MAs) aged 30-60 years and attached to Public Administration institutions in Colombo District in Sri Lanka. Physical-activity(PA) was gathered using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire(IPAQ) adopted and validated to the Sri Lankan context. Blood pressure(measured and classified using JNC-7 guidelines), and anthropometric indices were recorded. Energy utilization of all vigorous and moderated PA and walking was expressed as metabolic-equivalent-of-task(MET) min per week. A total MET score was calculated and categorized based on IPAQ guidelines. Results: Socio-economic variations in PA levels were observed as 58.1%(n=158) SOs and 30.6%(n=226) MAs were involved in inadequate PA. Of the diagnosed hypertensives, 44.7%(n=106), and 49.4%(n=117) reported a low and moderate PA and considering non-hypertensives, 35.9%(n=278), 57.5%(n=445) reported a low and moderate activity levels respectively. After adjusting for potential confounding factors being physically inactive was associated with a higher risk of hypertension[Odds rate ratio(OR) 1.33[95% CI 1.07, 1,65], indicating that physical-inactivity increased the risk of hypertension by 30%. The main modality of commuting to work for SOs(59%) was private transport, and MAs(64%) public transport Commuting distance was positively correlated(p<0.05) with total transport MET among SOs and MAs. After adjusting, commuting distance of >20 km was associated with lower odds of hypertension among SOs and MAs(OR=0.713; 95% CI 0.4 to1.3; and OR=0.63; 95% CI 0.46 to 0.87).Conclusion: Despite the current knowledge that being physically active promotes health, the practice was different. Physical inactivity was associated with hypertension and prevalent among both SOs and MAs. Higher commuting distance is positively correlated with total transport MET and associated with lower odds of hypertension among SOs and MAs. Longitudinal studies are required to provide a causative association between physical inactivity and hypertension among these employees.

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Physical activity and perceived barriers among doctors working in King Abdulaziz Hospital, Jeddah, 2018

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20191553 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. 1843 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eyad Khateeb ◽

Turki AlKharji ◽

Sulafa AlQutub

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Role Models ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Perceived Barriers ◽

P Value ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Cross Sectional

Background: Physical inactivity is a major public health problem worldwide, and Saudi Arabia has been identified as one of the countries with the highest prevalence of physical inactivity. This study seeks to determine the physical activity levels and to identify the perceived barriers against physical activity among doctors.Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study involving all physicians practicing in King Abdulaziz Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. All doctors holding administrative positions during the conduct of the survey were excluded from the study. Systematic random sampling was used to select the doctors. A previously published and validated self-administered questionnaire was used in the study. The results of the study were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23.Results: Among the 178 physicians surveyed, more than half (74.6%) reported having regular physical activity. Among the 129 doctors who reported low to high physical activity, 50.0% were in the moderate to high category, meanwhile only 23.7% were in the low category. We found a significant relationship between the level of physical activity and perceived total exercise benefits/barriers (p<0.001), exercise benefits (p-value=0.009), and exercise barriers (p<0.001).Conclusions: Most of the physicians were physically active. However, there is still a need to encourage physicians to improve their physical activity, which would improve their perception of exercise and set them as better role models for physical activity among their patients and the communityz.

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Trajectories and Determinants of Physical Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Population-Based Study of Middle-Aged and Elderly Individuals in The Netherlands

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13113832 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 3832

Author(s):

Amy Hofman ◽

Marlou A. M. Limpens ◽

Tosca O. E. de Crom ◽

Mohammad Arfan Ikram ◽

Annemarie I. Luik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

The Netherlands ◽

Latent Class ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Population Based ◽

World Health ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Health Organization

Physical inactivity is a major public health problem, and there are concerns this might have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to identify distinct trajectories of physical activity over a 6-week period after the first restrictive measures and to explore determinants of these trajectories in a population-based cohort of middle-aged and elderly in the Netherlands (n = 5777). We observed that at least 59% of participants did not meet the World Health Organization recommendations for physical activity. Using latent class trajectory analyses over three time points, we identified five distinct trajectories, including four steady trajectories at different levels (very low, low, medium and high) and one increasing trajectory. Using multinomial logistic regression analyses, we observed that, compared to the ‘steadily high’ trajectory, participants in the ‘steadily very low’ trajectory were more often older, lower educated, reporting poorer physical health, more depressive symptoms, consuming a less healthy diet, smoking, and lower alcohol use, and were less often retired. A similar pattern of determinants was seen for those in the increasing trajectory, albeit with smaller effect sizes. Concluding, we observed low levels of physical activity that generally remained during the pandemic. The determinants we described can help identify groups that require additional preventive interventions.

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A Review of Cardiovascular Toxicity of Microcystins

Toxins ◽

10.3390/toxins11090507 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 507 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Linghui Cao ◽

Isaac Yaw Massey ◽

Hai Feng ◽

Fei Yang

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Environmental Concern ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Cyanobacterial Blooms ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Cardiovascular Toxicity ◽

Secondary Products ◽

Global Environmental ◽

Global Environmental Concern

The mortality rate of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in China is on the rise. The increasing burden of CVD in China has become a major public health problem. Cyanobacterial blooms have been recently considered a global environmental concern. Microcystins (MCs) are the secondary products of cyanobacteria metabolism and the most harmful cyanotoxin found in water bodies. Recent studies provide strong evidence of positive associations between MC exposure and cardiotoxicity, representing a threat to human cardiovascular health. This review focuses on the effects of MCs on the cardiovascular system and provides some evidence that CVD could be induced by MCs. We summarized the current knowledge of the cardiovascular toxicity of MCs, with regard to direct cardiovascular toxicity and indirect cardiovascular toxicity. Toxicity of MCs is mainly governed by the increasing level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress in mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, the inhibition activities of serine/threonine protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) and 2A (PP2A) and the destruction of cytoskeletons, which finally induce the occurrence of CVD. To protect human health from the threat of MCs, this paper also puts forward some directions for further research.

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Basal physical inactivity as an independent risk factor for early death in elderly cancer patients: A prospective Brazilian cohort study with 608 patients.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2017.35.15_suppl.e21534 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. e21534-e21534

Author(s):

Jurema Telles O Lima ◽

Maria Julia Gonçalves Mello ◽

Anke Bergmann ◽

Mirella Rebello Bezerra ◽

Zilda Cavalcanti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Geriatric Assessment ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Early Death ◽

Premature Death ◽

Elderly Cancer Patients ◽

Low Middle Income Countries ◽

Physically Inactive

e21534 Background:With the aging of the population, cancer in the elderly people is becoming an increasingly common and complex health problem, particularly in low-middle-income countries, where physical inactivity and obesity have also been challenging and correlated with cancer and aging. The aim of this study is to determine whether the baseline physical inactivity per International Physical Activity Questionnaire(IPAQ) is an independent factor of premature death in the first six months.Methods: prospective cohort study of elderly patients (≥ 60 years). Participants with a recent diagnosis of cancer were from eight community hospitals and one cancer center in Northeast Brazil and were recruited during their first medical appointment at the outpatient oncologic clinic. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were determined and baseline comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) was conducted including IPAQ and Time Up and Go test. Data were analyzed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models, overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and survival curves were compared using the Log rank test. Results:From 2015-2016, 608 patients, mean age 71.9 (SD ±7.4; range 60-96), 50.7% male, were enrolled. Main diagnoses were prostate cancer (29.1%), digestive system cancer (25.5%) and breast cancer (16.0%). 40.3% were considered obese/overweight (BMI ≥ 27). 42.1% were considered physically inactive per IPAQ. The mean of the Time Up and Go test on the physically inactive group by IPAQ was of 13.11s (SD ± 6.5), and of 22.72s (SD± 16.7) on the physically active one. After adjustment for age, site of cancer and cancer stage, the multivariate regression Cox model showed that being physically inactive is an independent predictor for early death (HR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.50‒ 3.66, p < 0.001).Conclusions:Physical inactivity at admission was identified as a significant predictor of risk for premature death in elderly cancer patients. The evaluation of the physical activity should be incorporated into regular geriatric assessment of elderly cancer patients.

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Public knowledge of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in Tangail, Bangladesh: a cross-sectional survey

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20191799 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

pp. 1838

Author(s):

Masuder Rahman ◽

Sakila Akter ◽

Fatama Tous Zohora ◽

Abu Zaffar Shibly

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Heart Attack ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Unhealthy Diet ◽

Common Risk Factors

Background: Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is a major public health problem throughout the world. In Bangladesh, the reliable data concerning various aspects of CVD is inadequate at present due to lack of national population-based surveys or central administrative health data. Given the rising incidence of CVDs in Bangladesh, an improved understanding of the CVD, symptoms and risk factors is needed. Hence, this study was performed to assess the level of knowledge towards CVD types, warning symptoms of heart attack or stroke, and CVD risk factors.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted from May 2018 to June 2018 using standard questionnaire on a sample of 350 randomly selected Bangladeshi individuals. All the data of the study were input in SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 20.0 software from IBM for windows and the gathered data thus analyzed using SPSS & Microsoft Excel.Results: The respondents’ knowledge about types of CVD, symptom heart attack, symptom of stroke and the risk factors of CVD are 38.9%, 67.7%, 35.7%, and 92.9% respectively. The most common risk factors of CVD found to be known by around than two-third of respondents were unhealthy diet (66.9%), physical inactivity (64.3), obesity (61.4%), and smoking (58.6%).Conclusions: The respondents’ knowledge about types of CVD, symptom heart attack, symptom of stroke and the risk factors of CVD are 38.9%, 67.7%, 35.7%, and 92.9% respectively. The most common risk factors of CVD found to be known by around than two-third of respondents were unhealthy diet (66.9%), physical inactivity (64.3), obesity (61.4%), and smoking (58.6%).

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Serious non-fatal unintentional injuries among in-school adolescents in Sri Lanka: results from the 2016 Sri Lankan Global School-Based Health Survey

10.21203/rs.3.rs-27879/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sashimali Wickramasinghe ◽

Nalika Gunawardena ◽

Dhanusha Punyadasa ◽

Shanthi Gunawardena ◽

Champika Wickramasinghe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Health Survey ◽

Health Problem ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Age Group ◽

Unintentional Injuries ◽

School Based ◽

The World

Abstract Background Unintentional injuries among adolescents is a major public health problem the world over. A great majority of the annual deaths among adolescents is due to unintentional injuries; it is also the leading cause of death among adolescents in the world. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of injuries and their associated factors among school going adolescents aged 13-17 years using data from the most recent Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) conducted in Sri Lanka. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire, among 3,262 adolescents attending government schools. The sample was selected through a two-staged cluster sampling technique. In the first stage, 40 schools were selected using probabilities proportional to school enrollment size, from all schools in the country that have classes in grades 8-12 . Then, from the selected schools, classes were selected using systematic equal probability sampling with a random start. The weighted prevalence was calculated, and logistic regression analysis was conducted in order to determine the correlates. Results During the 12 months before the survey, 35.8% (95% CI-30.7 - 41.1) of the students reported being seriously injured one or more times. The injuries were more common among males, but were equally common among the two different age groups (13-15 age group vs 16-17 age group). The most common type of injury was cut or stab wounds (5.5%), followed by broken bones/dislocated joints (5.3%). Multivariable analysis revealed that only a few factors were associated with injury, such as being of the male sex, being bullied, being physically attacked, and/or being in a physical fight. Conclusion This study demonstrated that the prevalence of serious unintentional injuries among school going adolescents is a major public health problem in Sri Lanka. This timely and comprehensive survey would help policy makers and researchers identify the unmet needs related to adolescent injuries. Furthermore, evidence generated form the study should be given due consideration when designing school-based interventions to prevent adolescent injuries.

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Solvitur Ambulando: Why Humans Walk Extraordinary Distances Together Serving Abstract Ends

10.31234/osf.io/au4kh ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shane O'Mara

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Community Support ◽

Levels Of Analysis ◽

Human Walking ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Biological Adaptation ◽

In The Wild ◽

Health Promoting

Human walking is a socially-embedded and shaped biological adaptation: it frees our hands, make our minds mobile and is deeply health-promoting. Yet, today, physical inactivity is an unsolved, major public health problem. However, globally, tens of millions of people annually undertake ancient, significant, and enduring traditions of physiologically- and psychologically-arduous walks (pilgrimages) of days-to-weeks extent. Pilgrim walking is celebrated, discussed, and analysed in important literary, historical, and religious works as a defining human activity: one requiring weighty commitments of time, action, and belief, as well as community support. Paradoxically, human walking is most studied on treadmills, not ‘in the wild’. While mechanistically vital, treadmill studies of walking cannot, in principle, address why humans walk extraordinary distances together for abstract ends, or provide the means to bring much-needed physical activity back into our everyday lives.Pilgrim walkers provide a rich ‘living laboratory’ bridging literary, historical, and religious inquiries, to progressive theoretical and empirical investigations of human walking serving abstract ends. Pilgrims offer advantages for causal investigations: they vary demographically, and they undertake arduous journeys on precisely-mapped routes of tracked, titrated, doses and durations on terrain of varying difficulty, allowing controlled investigations from molecular to cultural levels of analysis. Here, using a novel, naturalistic, framework, we examine how pilgrim walking might shape personal, social, and transcendental processes, revealing potential mechanisms supporting the socially-embedded body and brain in motion, and beyond, to how pilgrim walking might offer some potential solutions for physical inactivity in society at large.

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Biopsychosocial Functions of Human Walking and Adherence to Behaviourally Demanding Belief Systems: A Narrative Review

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2021.654122 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Shane O’Mara

Keyword(s):

Physical Inactivity ◽

Belief Systems ◽

Belief System ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Community Support ◽

The Body ◽

Human Walking ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

In The Wild ◽

Health Promoting

Human walking is a socially embedded and shaped biological adaptation: it frees our hands, makes our minds mobile, and is deeply health promoting. Yet, today, physical inactivity is an unsolved, major public health problem. However, globally, tens of millions of people annually undertake ancient, significant and enduring traditions of physiologically and psychologically arduous walks (pilgrimages) of days-to-weeks extent. Pilgrim walking is a significant human activity requiring weighty commitments of time, action and belief, as well as community support. Paradoxically, human walking is most studied on treadmills, not ‘in the wild’, while mechanistically vital, treadmill studies of walking cannot, in principle, address why humans walk extraordinary distances together to demonstrate their adherence to a behaviourally demanding belief system.Pilgrim walkers provide a rich ‘living laboratory’ bridging humanistic inquiries, to progressive theoretical and empirical investigations of human walking arising from a behaviourally demanding belief system. Pilgrims vary demographically and undertake arduous journeys on precisely mapped routes of tracked, titrated doses and durations on terrain of varying difficulty, allowing investigations from molecular to cultural levels of analysis. Using the reciprocal perspectives of ‘inside→out’ (where processes within brain and body initiate, support and entrain movement) and ‘outside→in’ (where processes in the world beyond brain and body drive activity within brain and body), we examine how pilgrim walking might shape personal, social and transcendental processes, revealing potential mechanisms supporting the body and brain in motion, to how pilgrim walking might offer policy solutions for physical inactivity.

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The Relevance of MicroRNAs in the Pathogenesis and Prognosis of HCV-Disease: The Emergent Role of miR-17-92 in Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v12121364 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 1364

Author(s):

Serena Lorini ◽

Laura Gragnani ◽

Anna Linda Zignego

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Lymphoproliferative Disorders ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis ◽

Association Analyses ◽

Non Invasive

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public health problem. HCV is a hepatotropic and lymphotropic virus that leads to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and lymphoproliferative disorders such as cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). The molecular mechanisms by which HCV induces these diseases are not fully understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding molecules that negatively regulate post-transcriptional gene expression by decreasing their target gene expression. We will attempt to summarize the current knowledge on the role of miRNAs in the HCV life cycle, HCV-related HCC, and lymphoproliferative disorders, focusing on both the functional effects of their deregulation as well as on their putative role as biomarkers, based on association analyses. We will also provide original new data regarding the miR 17-92 cluster in chronically infected HCV patients with and without lymphoproliferative disorders who underwent antiviral therapy. All of the cluster members were significantly upregulated in CV patients compared to patients without CV and significantly decreased in those who achieved vasculitis clinical remission after viral eradication. To conclude, miRNAs play an important role in HCV infection and related oncogenic processes, but their molecular pathways are not completely clear. In some cases, they may be potential therapeutic targets or non-invasive biomarkers of tumor progression.

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