Physical activity profile of Nigeria: implications for research, surveillance and policy.

Adewale Luqman Oyeyemi,Rufus Adesoji Adedoyin,Andrea Ramírez,Adetoyeje Yoonus Oyeyemi,Kingsley Kolapo Akinroye,Aliyu Lawan,Babatunji Abayomi Omotara

doi:10.11604/pamj.2018.30.175.12679

Abstract

Appraising the status of physical activity surveillance, research and policy in Nigeria is relevant to national and regional public health actions on physical activity promotion and non-communicable disease control. This study aimed to 1) evaluate the physical activity profile of Nigeria and 2) propose strategies for improving physical activity in the country. The Global Observatory for Physical Activity-GoPA! with inputs from local experts systematically collected sociodemographic and physical activity surveillance, national policy and research indicators data for Nigeria in 2014. The Nigerian Country Card highlighting the status of these indicators was developed in 2015 and launched in 2016. Prevalence of physical activity among Nigerian adults was 78% (female=76%, male=79%). There was no physical activity surveillance system and national plan, and no empirical data on the proportion of all deaths directly due to physical inactivity in Nigeria. Few (n=7) articles related to physical activity and public health were published in 2013 and the country occupied the 38th position in the global research ranking, contributing about 0.24% to physical activity research worldwide. Implementing national physical activity plans and multi-sectorial collaborations between government and non-governmental partners are needed to improve physical activity surveillance, research and policy in Nigeria and other African countries with similar physical activity gaps.

Highlights

Physical inactivity-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for about 3 million deaths in sub-Saharan Africa [1]
Mortality due to physical inactivity indicator: No data exists on the proportion of all deaths directly due to physical inactivity in Nigeria
Due to the public health relevance of physical activity monitoring to NCDs, the Federal Ministry of Health should partner with actors at the National Population Commission to integrate physical activity as part of the key national health indicators routinely collected and reported in the Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (DHS) [20]

Summary

Introduction

Physical inactivity-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for about 3 million deaths in sub-Saharan Africa [1]. These deaths are expected to increase up to 80% by 2020 if urgent actions are not taken [1,2,3]. Was established to develop a physical activity card that could facilitate the need for country level data collection and monitoring to inform policy and planning of interventions at the population level for each country of the world [5,6]. Evaluating the physical activity profile of Nigeria could help identify research, surveillance and policy gaps and provide information on data needed for effective public health planning and action in the country. The aims of this study were to 1) evaluate the physical activity profile of Nigeria and 2) propose strategies for improving physical activity in the country

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion