Abstract

Physical activity is associated with enhanced sleep quality and optimal body composition, as well as a reduction in cardiovascular risk factors in the general population. Although earlier research has established a link between physical exercise and excellent sleep quality as well as an optimum BMI in adults, little is known about the relationship in the young adult populations. The purpose of this study is to discover if there is a relationship between sleep quality, blood pressure, waist circumference, socio-demographic variables with physical activity among young adult in Kuala Lumpur. A cross-sectional sample of 120 university students was recruited for this study. Physical activity and sleep quality were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively. Blood pressure, Body mass index, and waist circumference were also measured. Approximately 36% of university students engage in moderate to vigorous physical exercise. The average physical activity was 2430.37 ± 2509.16 MET-minutes each week, which meets the minimal need. The median difference in MET-minutes per week between gender was not significant, with males having greater MET than females (p > 0.05). However, there was no statistically significant variation in MET-minutes each week between study year and mode of transportation. (p > 0.05). Approximately 40.3% of university students were classified as having good sleep quality. The average sleep quality is 5.37 ± 2.38, indicating that the students have slightly a poor sleep quality. There was no statistically significant variation in sleep score between gender, year of study, and mode of transportation (p > 0.05). The waist circumference (WC) has a significant relationship with body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). According to multinomial logistic regression, there was a significant association between level of physical activity (PA) and BMI and year of study when comparing moderate and low PA. Physical activity is essential because it may alter a young adult’s lifestyle, encouraging active commuting to work or other short-distance destinations. Attention must be given to this particular population to encourage regular and sustainable participation in physical activity to achieve lifelong health benefits. Other variables, such as body fat, energy intake, stress level and muscle mass, can also be examined for future research.

Highlights

  • Globalization and sophisticated technology have resulted in a decrease in public participation in physical exercise

  • The participants in this study were divided into two equal groups of 60 male and 60 female students

  • The average waist circumference (WC) for the participants was 77.83 ± 10.19 cm and this was within the normal range

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Summary

Introduction

Globalization and sophisticated technology have resulted in a decrease in public participation in physical exercise. Noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension [1]. Sustainability 2021, 13, 11806 lifestyle [2]. Previous research of students found that the transition from high school to college has an impact on their daily activities [5]. This is related to a sedentary lifestyle, since students spend most of their time studying and performing assignments, rather than participating in sports and curricular activities [6]

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