Abstract
Unhealthy lifestyle characteristics such as low physical activity (PA) and high plasma glucose levels (PGLs) may lead to the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate (i) the level of physical activity; (ii) the prevalence of pre-diabetes and (iii) the relationship between PA and plasma glucose level in a rural Ellisras adult population aged 18 to 28 years. A total of 713 young adults (349 males and 364 females) who took part in the Ellisras Longitudinal Study participated in the study. Fasting plasma glucose levels were analysed using Accutrend glucose meters. Physical activity data was collected using a validated questionnaire. Linear regression was used to assess the relationship between PA and pre-diabetes. The prevalence of pre-diabetes was between 45.7% and 50.2% and that of physical inactivity was 67.3% and 71.0% for males and females, respectively. There was no significant (p > 0.05) relationship between PA and pre-diabetes (beta = 1.016; 95% Confidence Interval from 0.352 to 2.777). The health benefits of PA increased with the increasing frequency, duration and intensity of exercise. The prevalence of pre-diabetes was found to be very high in this population. Our results suggest that greater physical activity is associated with low plasma glucose levels.
Highlights
The number of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was noted to be increasing worldwide and is expected to be 592 million by the year 2035 [1,2]
Our results suggest that greater physical activity is associated with low plasma glucose levels
Unemployment, poverty, and low life expectancy play a significant role in rural South African populations, and the Ellisras rural area is no exception [12]
Summary
The number of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was noted to be increasing worldwide and is expected to be 592 million by the year 2035 [1,2]. Lloyd-Jones et al [4] note that T2DM is a risk factor of vascular disease with 65% of all deaths in people with diabetes due to cardiovascular disease. The improvement of the population’s knowledge and awareness of the risk factors associated with T2DM is essential to prevent future complications of the disease [5], such information appears to be limited to rural populations where modernisation and industrialisation take place [6]. Little is known about the benefits of PA on the prevention and treatment of T2DM in the rural South African population
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