Low Level Of Leisure-time Physical Activity Research Articles

Is the leisure-time physical activity of Asian Indian Guadeloupean adolescents different from that of their island counterparts?

Objective. To compare the levels of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) of Guadeloupeans originating and not originating from India. Design. Two hundred and sixty of 10–18-year-old Guadeloupeans originating from India (Asian Indians) matched on sex and age with 520 Guadeloupeans not originating from India (Controls) participated in the present study. The participants completed the modifiable activity questionnaire over a seven-day period. We studied the association between ethnicity and the weekly LTPA metabolic equivalent (in MET-Hr), the daily duration of LTPA (in Hr), the mean and the maximal MET of the reported LTPA items, the pattern of LTPA classified as light, moderate or vigorous activities, the more frequently reported LTPA items and their mean weekly duration (in Hr). Results. Asian Indian adolescents reported lower weekly LTPA (p=0.001) with a mean difference of 13.6 MET-Hr/week and less intense LTPA (p<0.001) than controls. They spent higher absolute and relative times in light intensities activities (p<0.001 for both) and higher times in vigorous ones (p<0.001 for both). Conclusion. The lower levels of LTPA reported in Asian Indian adolescents of Guadeloupe should be taken into account in public health policies for disease prevention as Asian Indians are at high risk for several diseases whose incidence could be influenced by this behavioral trait.

Occupation, Hours Worked, Caregiving, and Leisure Time Physical Activity

Many studies have found that caregivers tend to neglect their own health care needs (Acton, 2001; Castro, King, Bacak, Housemann, Gardiner, & Brownson, 2003; Janevic & Connell, 2001). This neglect comes in many forms, but one of considerable interest is neglect of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and exercise. Caregivers who do not exercise regularly miss out on many well documented benefits of regular physical exercise including improved overall health, decreases in blood pressure, improvements in lipid profile, weight control, helps in diabetes control, reduction of stress, promotion of relaxation, as well as a number of positive psychological effects.It is essential that caregivers make time to provide care for themselves, including sufficient LTPA. The entire experience of caregiving can be undermined when the caregiver does not take sufficient care of themselves. Compromised caregiver health has been linked to potentially harmful behaviors by caregivers, including screaming, yelling, insulting, swearing, threatening to send to a nursing home and withholding food (Beach, Schulz, Williamson, Miller, Weiner, & Lance, 2005). Karlin (2004) concluded that lack of LTPA or exercise during care-giving periods predicted higher levels of caregiver burden. Alternatively, Rabinowitz, Cardenas, Mausback, Gray and Ambler (2003) found that overall burden was predictive of poor health behaviors for caregivers. Exercise programs directed to caregivers have shown success in reducing sense of caregiver burden (Boise, Congleton & Schmall, 2000; Castro, Wilcox, O'Sullivan, Baumann, & King, 2002).The exploration of the barriers to regular LTPA for caregivers has revealed regional variation (Wilcox, Castro, King, Housemann, & Brownson, 2006) in that rural caregivers are more sedentary than their urban counterparts. Rural women cited care-giving duties as their top barrier to LTPA as compared to lack of time for the urban women. Variation has also been reported due to ethnicity, age, and education level (King, Castro, Wilcox, Eyler, Sallis, & Brownson, 2006). For all ethnic subgroups, care-giving duties ranked among the top four most frequently reported barriers to LTPA. The exploration of why some caregivers cannot engage in regular LTPA has incorporated the fact that caregiving and LTPA may be mediated by other factors. Caregivers often have multiple competing demands for their time including providing care to their own children as well as employment (Burton & Turrell, 2000).Occupational Status and LTPAOccupational status has an important bearing on LTPA pursuits. Studies have demonstrated that blue collar employees report lower levels of LTPA (Niknian, Linnan, Lasater, & Carleton, 1991; Oldridge, 1992). As a direct result, demographic studies have shown that blue collar employees experience higher mortality and morbidity rates (Bennett, 1996). A study by Burton and Turrell (2000) investigated the relationship between occupation, hours worked and LTPA. The authors reported that individuals in blue-collar occupations were approximately 50% more likely to be classified as insufficiently active. However, this occupation variability in leisure-time physical activity was not explained by hours worked. The authors suggested that identification of factors contributing to occupational variability in leisure time physical activity may add to our understanding of why population subgroups differ in their health risk profiles. One such factor proposed was that individuals may be constrained by other time demands, such as caregiving commitments.Occupational Status, Caregiving, and LTPAAlthough the literature presents a compelling case that caregiving interferes with LTPA and that individuals employed in particular occupation categories exercise more than others, there has yet to be an examination of the influence of both occupation and caregiving responsibility on LTPA. …

Leisure-Time Physical Activity and Health-Care Utilization in Older Adults

This study examined whether leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) was associated with health-care utilization in a racially diverse sample of rural and urban older adults. Community-dwelling adults (N = 1,000, 75.32 +/- 6.72 years old) self-reported participating in LTPA and their use of the health-care system (physician visits, number and length of hospitalizations, and emergency-room visits). After controlling for variables associated with health and health-care utilization, older adults who reported lower levels of LTPA also reported a greater number of nights in the hospital in the preceding year. There was no support, however, for a relationship between LTPA and the other indicators of health-care utilization. Our findings suggest that being physically active might translate to a quicker recovery for older adults who are hospitalized. Being physically active might not only have health benefits for older persons but also lead to lower health-care costs.

Does Measurement Of Leisure Time Physical Activity Levels Reflect Accurate Physical Activity In Latino Adults?

PURPOSE Studies examining physical activity levels have employed samples primarily composed of non-Latino Whites and have focused on leisure time physical activity (LTPA). Additionally, few studies have investigated the relationship between acculturation and activity. The present study examined the recreational, occupational, and domestic physical activity of Latino adults using both subjective and objective measures. Additionally, the role played by acculturation in physical activity was investigated. METHODS Data were obtained from a sample of 155 Latinos (n = 86 female, n = 69 male). Comparisons were made between Latinos who engaged in high levels of LTPA and those who engaged in low levels of LTPA. In addition, alternative analyses of activity and acculturation of those Latinos with high levels of LTPA but little or no occupational/domestic activity (n = 39) were compared with those engaging in little or no LTPA but high occupational/domestic (non-LTPA) levels of physical activity (n = 34). RESULTS It was demonstrated that participants reporting high levels of LTPA had significantly higher daily activity counts (M= 378649 counts/day) than Latinos with low levels of LTPA (M= 300282 counts/day). However, no significant difference was noted in overall MET hours per week (M = 208 and 189 MET hrs/wk, respectively). In alternative analyses that took into account levels of non-LTPA, the significant difference in daily activity counts was eradicated (M= 366778 and 325670 counts/day, respectively), and Latinos with low levels of LTPA but high levels of non-LTPA had greater overall activity (M= 168 and 198 MET hrs/wk, respectively). Additionally, it was demonstrated that acculturation was related to occupational activity, however, was ot related to recreational activity. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that measurement of all types of physical activity of Latinos is important, and that acculturation may be a correlate of various types of physical activity. Funding for this study was provided by an NIH Minority Predoctoral Fellowship (#AG05921), a grant from the National Institute on Aging (#AG12113), a UIUC Graduate College Dissertation Research Grant, and the Paul D. Doolen Scholarship.

Leisure Time, Non-leisure Time, and Occupational Physical Activity in Asian Americans

Asian American immigrants' risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity increase with duration of residence in the United States (US). Regular physical activity reduces the risk of these diseases, yet little is known about physical activity in Asian Americans and how it changes after immigration. Data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, which oversampled Asian Americans, were analyzed to investigate the effects of ethnicity, nativity, and years in the US on leisure time physical activity (LTPA), non-leisure time physical activity (NLTPA), and occupational physical activity. A total of 4226 Asian Americans and 29,473 US-born non-Asians were included. Asian Americans were much less likely to meet recommended levels of LTPA than US-born non-Asians (odds ratio [OR], men=0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.42, 0.61, OR, women = 0.48, 95% CI, 0.40, 0.57). Foreign-born Asians were least likely to participate in LTPA; LTPA increased as years in the US increased. After accounting for NLTPA, Asian Americans had significantly lower estimated weekly energy expenditure than US-born non-Asians. Asian Americans, especially immigrants, are at risk for low levels of LTPA and high levels of physical inactivity. NLTPA does not offset these lower levels of LTPA. Increasing physical activity is key to protecting the health of this rapidly growing population.

Obesity and leisure time physical activity (LTPA) are strongly and inversely associated in men with the Lewis (a-b-) phenotype - not in men with other Lewis phenotypes

P73 Background Obesity is more prevalent among men with the Lewis (a-b-) phenotype than among others. It has recently been shown in the Copenhagen Male Study (CMS) that an excess risk of fatal IHD in Le(a-b-) men is strongly modified by LTPA. It has been disputed if LTPA is able to reduce or eliminate obesity. To elucidate this issue further, we hypothesized that a stronger inverse associaion exists between LTPA and obesity in Le(a-b-) men than in other men. Methods A historical prospective study of 2,824 Caucasian men free from overt IHD aged 53 to 75 years, examined in 1970 and 1985 in CMS. A low level of LTPA was defined as ≤4 hours/week moderate or ≤2 hour/week more vigorous physical activity. Main outcome: body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2 ). Results 266 men had the Le(a-b-) phenotype, 2,558 had other Lewis phenotypes and were pooled for analytical purposes. Le(a-b-) men had a higher BMI than other Lewis phenotypes, 26.1 vs 25.6, p&lt;0.05. The table shows a strong inverse association between LTPA and BMI in Le(a-b-) men and an only weak association among others. Weight differences among sedentary men were 9.1 kg, among active 0.1 kg. Correlation coefficients for Le(a-b-) men: -0.27, for others: -0.07, a highly significant difference, p=0.008. Potential confounders did not explain this. Conclusions There was a strong inverse association between LTPA and BMI in Le(a-b-) men, an association not found among others. Public health and clinical implications may be important in eg US and Scandinavia, populations with a high prevalence of obesity, a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, and a high proportion of Le(a-b-) men. Table 1.