Physical Activity Indicators, Body Mass Index And Their Relationships In Male And Female Puerto Ricans

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between indicators of level and intensity of physical activity (PA), and Body Mass Index (BMI) in male and female Puerto Ricans. METHODS The subjects were 396 males (N = 206) and females (N = 190) age 18 to 76, engaging in regular leisure time PA in three metropolitan areas of Puerto Rico. Subjects had a mean weight of 77.2 kg. (males), 66.5 kg. (females), and mean height of 169 cm. (males), 157 cm. (females). Variables included: time doing PA (TPA), days does PA per week (DPA), minutes of PA per day (MPA), minutes of vigorous PA per day (MVPA), Body Mass Index (BMI), minutes of exercise (MinEx), minutes of vigorous exercise (MinVEx), heart rate pre (HRPre) and post (HRPost) exercise, and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). Variables were ascertained at the exercise site through interview or direct measurement during a day when a subject came to exercise. Chi Square and other correlation analyses were used to investigate the relationships. All tests were done with a significance level p <0.05. RESULTS Chi Square analysis revealed a significant association between gender and TPA. Further analysis revealed significant correlations for both genders between: TPA and DPA, MPA, BMI; DPA and MPA, MVPA; MPA and MVPA, MinEx, MinVEx and between MEx and MinVEx. For males, there were significant correlations between: TPA and Age, and HRPre; DPA and HRPre; MPA and HRPre; MVPA and HRPre, MinEx and MinVEx; BMI and MinEx, and between HRPre and MinVEx. For females, significant correlations were found between: TPA and MinVEx; MPA and HRPost; MVPA and HRPost; HRPre and HRPost; HRPost and RPE; MEx and RPE and between MinVEx and RPE. Further, for this sample, BMI could be used to predict MinEx through the following equation: MinEx = 30.420 + 0.654(BMI). CONCLUSION These findings suggest possible differences in the degree that male and female Puerto Ricans engage in regular PA, which in turn may have a differential effect for gender.