Physical activity, fitness and the metabolic syndrome in rural youths from Mozambique

Abstract

Background: Except for North America and Europe, few studies have reported the association among physical activity (PA), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in youths, especially for rural African youth.Aim: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of PA levels, CRF, MetS and its indicators, and examine the association between these variables in a school-aged sample of youth from rural Mozambique.Subjects and methods: The sample included 209 children and adolescents aged 7–15 years old from Calanga, a rural community in Mozambique. PA was estimated with a culturally-specific questionnaire. CRF was determined by 1-mile run test. Indicators of the MetS included fasting glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index. A continuous metabolic risk score was computed.Results: Results showed high levels of PA and CRF and a low prevalence of MetS ( < 2%) among children and adolescents from Calanga. However, there was a moderately high prevalence of elevated blood pressure (81.8%) and triglycerides (18.7%), respectively. There were no significant associations between PA, CRF and MetS.Conclusion: Youths from Calanga are physically active and possess high CRF and their lifestyle may be a protective effect against MetS.