Gender Differences in Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior and BMI in the Liberec Region: the IPAQ Study in 2002-2009

Sigmundová Dagmar,Suchomel Aleš,Frömel Karel,Sigmund Erik

doi:10.2478/v10078-011-0029-6

Abstract

The occurrence of overweight, obesity and physical activity (PA) belongs to major factors influencing health. However, information on the longitudinal development of PA in Europe has been, up until now, insufficient. The aim of the study was to describe the changes in PA, sedentary behavior and BMI in the inhabitants of the Liberec region during the surveybetween 2002 – 2009. The data were obtained in 2002–2004 using the short version of the IPAQ questionnaire, in 2005–2009 using the long version of the IPAQ. The sample of participants comprised 957 males and 1066 females aged 25–60 years. A significant decrease in sitting accounting for minutes on working days has been recorded both in men and women. A significant increase of PA both in men and women was reported, however the interpretation of the increase needs to be done cautiously due to the application of the short and long version of the IPAQ. Regarding PA intensity, men show more PA in total than women, which can be explained mainly by the differences in vigorous PA. Women show significantly lower values of BMI in all years in which surveys were conducted than men (p<0.001). Based on self-reported data, we have recorded an increase in the number of overweight and obese people. Time spent sitting on working days has had a tendency to decrease, yet a negative trend in the decrease in self-reported total PA has not been confirmed. Despite the fact that there has been an increase in self-reported PA, no decrease in BMI was registered.

Highlights

To lower the number of overweight and obese people and to increase physical activity are among the main goals of public health research(Oja et al, 2010; U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2000; U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2009; WHO, 2004)
Ethics This study was carried out as part of nationwide research on physical activity that is in turn included in international research, i.e.: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Prevalence Study, the International Physical Activity and the Environment Network (IPEN).This study was approved by the Institutional Research Ethics Committee at Palacky University
When we consider physical activity in relation to age groups, in this sectional study, regardless of the year of monitoring and regardless of gender, there are no significant differences in PA among age groups

Summary

Introduction

Two thirds of the inhabitants of the European Union did not reach, in the year 2002, the recommended level of physical activity (Sjöström et al, 2006). It is difficult to determine trends in physical activity across Europe on the basis of irregularly updated data on the levels of PA in individual countries. The lack of data from regularly repeated surveys across the European region prompts the need for regular and repeated monitoring of physical activity on national and regional levels (Cavill et al, 2006). A decrease in physical activity in young adults was recorded in the Amsterdam Longitudinal Growth and Health Study (Van Mechelen et al, 2000). A study of Finnish adults, which was carried out in 19722002, on the other hand, showed that physical

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