Abstract
Physical inactivity is generally accepted as one of the most serious health risk behaviors of young adults contributing to poorer health outcome. This study aimed at determining the impacts of behavioral and medical problems on physical activity (PA) among the Egyptian youth. In this study, 500 Egyptian men aged 18 - 30 years old attending for medical examination in Qena University Outpatient department between March 2013 and March 2014 were surveyed; risk factors for physical inactivity were analyzed. Significantly, 58.0% of smokers demonstrated the tendency to physical inactivity; only 0.8% did vigorous PA [X(df = 2) = 15.53, p < 0.001]. Most of those with history of drug abuse and all alcoholics reported low PA tendency [X2(df = 2) = 13.96, p < 0.001, Fisher’s exact = 6.3, p = 0.045, respectively]. As much as 87.1% of the obese had mild PA, too [X2(df = 2) = 16.62, p < 0.001]. Heart disease was also associated with a tendency of physical inactivity [X2(df = 2) = 15.6, p < 0.001]. Most anemics (68.9%) reported mild PA and 31% of them reported having moderate PA [X2(df = 2) = 8.22, p = 0.027]. Both, hepatitis B virus (HBV)- and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infection, and diabetes mellitus (DM) were not risk for physical inactivity. The present work provides that PA diminishes with some chronic illnesses and behavioral derangements, e.g., drug abuse and smoking. Interestingly, HBV, HCV infections and DM are not among risks for physical inactivity.
Highlights
Physical inactivity is generally accepted as one of the most serious health risk behaviors of young adults contributing to poorer health, high risk of some chronic diseases and higher rates of premature mortality
Together with a sedentary lifestyle, may be attributed to a multitude of etiologic factors (Moore et al, 1991) falling under three main categories: a) behavioral factors, where the behavior of physical inactivity or even physical activity (PA) is usually constructed early and influenced by the social environmental surroundings, such as the family, school, peers; b) lifestyle, which involves a way of living without any regular PA or leisure time exercises, e.g., as in sedentary occupations and home-ridden states; c) chronic morbidity, such that chronic illness and disability can have a great role in development of physical inactivity and initiate a vicious circle where the more inactivity, the worse the morbidity e.g. obesity and diabetes mellitus
A great amount of effort has been made to minimize the impact of sedentary lifestyles on the public health system which is why physical activity was included in the Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, an agenda released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2004 (WHO, 2004), and most recently, in a document published by the American Heart Association (Artinian et al, 2010)
Summary
Physical inactivity is generally accepted as one of the most serious health risk behaviors of young adults contributing to poorer health, high risk of some chronic diseases and higher rates of premature mortality. Physical inactivity denotes a level of physical activity less than that needed to maintain good health (Kolbe, 1990). A type of physical activity, is defined as “a planned, structured, and repetitive bodily movement done to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness” (Pate et al, 1995). Physical fitness is considered as the level that relates to performance of the physical activity. It has three essential components: a) cardiopulmonary endurance; b) muscular strength and endurance; c) flexibility (bending, stretching and joint movement) (Blair et al, 1989). Together with a sedentary lifestyle, may be attributed to a multitude of etiologic factors (Moore et al, 1991) falling under three main categories: a) behavioral factors, where the behavior of physical inactivity or even PA is usually constructed early and influenced by the social environmental surroundings, such as the family, school, peers; b) lifestyle, which involves a way of living without any regular PA or leisure time exercises, e.g., as in sedentary occupations and home-ridden states; c) chronic morbidity, such that chronic illness and disability can have a great role in development of physical inactivity and initiate a vicious circle where the more inactivity, the worse the morbidity e.g. obesity and diabetes mellitus
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