Abstract
BackgroundPhysical activity is reported to prevent metabolic syndrome. However, it is unclear whether exercise or daily physical activity is more beneficial for residents of semi-mountainous areas. This study aimed to identify whether daily physical activity is more beneficial than exercise for the prevention of metabolic syndrome among middle-aged and older residents in semi-mountainous areas.MethodsWe analyzed secondary data of 636 people who underwent a specific health checkup in a semi-mountainous area of Japan. Physical activity was classified into four types: inactivity (I-type; without exercise and without daily physical activity), only exercise (E-type; with exercise and without daily physical activity), only daily physical activity (D-type; without exercise and with daily physical activity), and full physical activity type (F-type; with exercise and with daily physical activity). We compared the means of risk factors for metabolic syndrome by these four types, followed by logistic regression analysis, to identify whether and to what extent the D-type was less likely to have metabolic syndrome than the E-type.ResultsThe prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 28.5% (men 45.7%, women 15.8%). The proportions of men with exercise and daily physical activity were 38.7% and 52.8%, respectively. For women, the proportions were 33.0% and 47.1%, respectively. In women, the D-type had the significantly lowest BMI, smallest waist circumference, highest HDL-C, and lowest prevalence of metabolic syndrome of the four types; the same was not observed in men. Additionally, D-type activity was more strongly associated with a reduced risk of metabolic syndrome than E-type activity in women (adjusted odds ratio 0.24; 95% confidence interval 0.06–0.85, P = 0.028).ConclusionsCompared to middle-aged and older women residents with exercise in a semi-mountainous area of Japan, those with daily physical activity may effectively prevent metabolic syndrome.
Highlights
Physical activity is reported to prevent metabolic syndrome
The proportion of participants with exercise was 38.7% and 33.0% among men and women, respectively, and 52.8% and 47.1% of the male and female participants were reported with daily physical activity, respectively
Proportion of participants with metabolic syndrome by sex and physical activity The proportion of participants with metabolic syndrome differed according to physical activity and type (Table 3)
Summary
Physical activity is reported to prevent metabolic syndrome. It is unclear whether exercise or daily physical activity is more beneficial for residents of semi-mountainous areas. This study aimed to identify whether daily physical activity is more beneficial than exercise for the prevention of metabolic syndrome among middle-aged and older residents in semi-mountainous areas. A recently published systematic review showed a positive association between physical inactivity and metabolic syndrome [1]. Physical activity promotion is important for the prevention of metabolic syndrome and its components [4]. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have shown that exercise [8, 9] and leisure-time physical activity [10] are beneficial in preventing and improving the major causes of death-related chronic illnesses, including metabolic syndrome. Besides the benefits of exercise, the health risks associated with inactivity [11] and the importance of interrupting sedentary behavior [12] have been added to the World Health Organization’s new guidelines and evidence profile on physical activity and sedentary behavior [13,14,15]
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