Prevalence of Leisure-Time Physical Activity in A Representative Sample of Aborigines in Taiwan

Abstract

Aborigines in Taiwan, constituting 1.5% of the national population, had much higher overall mortality rate and higher prevalence of smoking or obesity than the Taiwan general population. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality from several chronic diseases. Few studies have examined the levels of physical activity and its associated factors among the aborigines in a representative sample. PURPOSE: To assess the levels of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) based on energy expenditure and to examine its associated demographic and behavioral correlates. METHODS: Data from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey of Taiwan (NHIS-T) was used. A total of 1,307 aboriginal adults aged 18 and older who completed the NHIS-T exercise questions and met the inclusion criteria were studied and compared to the total Taiwan samples of 16,132 adults. METs or energy intensity was assigned to each LTPA activity reported in NHIS-T, according to Ainsworth method. RESULTS: LTPA prevalence among aborigines was low, with 12.4% reached 750 kcal-wk-1 and 8.5%, 1,000 kcal-wk-1, and 63% of the aboriginal adults were physically inactive. In contrast, the corresponding figures for the general Taiwan population were 18.9% and 13.9%, respectively. The levels of LTPA among aborigines showed a characteristic sharp decrease after the age of 45, being less than 1/3 of Taiwanese. Being female, with limited formal education and with lower income were in increasing risk of physical inactivity. Smoking status and the habits of betel quid chewing were inversely related to physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: This study discovered the low level of LTPA among Taiwan aborigines hitherto unreported, particularly among old age groups. Aborigines need to increase their frequency and intensity level by 3–5 times in order to take advantage of health potential from LTPA. These results will inform policy makers effective strategies to promote physical activity among the aborigines.