Pedometer-determined physical activity and body composition in Chinese working adults

Effects of culturally adaptive walking intervention on cardiovascular disease risks for middle-aged Korean-Chinese female migrant workers

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a standard treatment (ST) walking program compared to an ST walking program enhanced (enhanced treatment, ET) on cardiovascular health outcomes among Korean-Chinese female migrant workers in Korea. A quasi-experimental sequential design was used. A total of 132 Korean-Chinese women without contraindications to physical activity participated in the study. Both ST and ET groups had monthly goal settings; the ET group received text messages to encourage walking adherence and acculturation. A significant decrease was found in 10-year risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), blood pressure, fasting glucose, body mass index, and waist-hip ratio at weeks 12 and 24 in both groups, but there were no significant group differences. This indicates that culturally adaptive walking intervention is a promising way to reduce CVD risk factors for underserved Korean-Chinese migrant women.

Levels of physical activity in people with chronic pain

Background

People who suffer from chronic pain are thought to have lower levels of physical activity compared to healthy individuals. However, there is a lack of evidence concerning levels of physical activity in South Africans with chronic pain.

Objectives

To compare levels of physical activity in a South African sample of people with chronic pain compared to matched controls.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 24 participants (12 with chronic pain and 12 in the control group matched for age, gender and residential area). Convenience sampling was used. The participants with chronic pain (12) were identified from the Groote Schuur Hospital, Chronic Pain Management Clinic (CPMC) waiting list and had not yet received any chronic pain management intervention. Healthy matched controls were selected from volunteers in the community. With the desired alpha level set at 0.05 and the power at 0.9, 45 participants were required to detect a minimum of a 50 per cent difference between groups in levels of physical activity as measured in steps per day using pedometers. The international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) and the brief pain inventory (BPI) were used as measures of physical activity and pain. Objective indicators of physical activity that were used included the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), repeated sit-to-stand test (RSST), 7 days of pedometry and body mass index (BMI).

Results

The chronic pain group performed significantly worse on the 6MWT (335 m [30-430] vs 680 m [430-795]; U = 0.5; p < 0.01) and on the RSST (17.9 s [11.83-105] vs 7.85 s [5.5-11.5]; U = 0; p < 0.01). The chronic pain group also had significantly lower scores on pedometry (mean daily: 2985.1 [32.8-13785.4] vs 6409.4 [4207.1-15313.6]; U = 35; p < 0.03). The BMI for the chronic pain group was significantly higher than matched controls (29.36 kg/m² [18.94-34.63] vs 22.16 kg/m² [17.1-30.86]; U = 34; p < 0.03).

Conclusion

Participants with chronic pain had a reduced capacity for physical activity. The pedometry results illustrate a range of maladaptive strategies adopted by those with chronic pain. The majority of people with chronic pain appear to avoid physical activity leading to greater disability as a result of immobility and muscle atrophy. However, a small subgroup appears to ignore their pain and push themselves physically despite their pain. This perseverance behaviour leads to further pain as a consequence of muscle and joint overuse. Both maladaptive behavioural responses result in further sensitisation of the central nervous system. The method used to target physical activity in these patients should be considered in treatment planning, specifically for physiotherapy.

Pedometer-determined physical activity profile of healthcare professionals in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Background:

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are perceived as statutory advocates for healthy living and promotion of healthy behaviors such as regular participation in physical activity (PA). This study assessed and compared pedometer-determined PA of different urban HCPs in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study involving 180 HCPs from a tertiary hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. PA was measured by daily walking steps using a pedometer.

Results:

The mean step count obtained was 7,396.94 ± 2,714.63 steps/day. Only 20% of the HCPs met a minimum PA of 10,000 steps/day. About one-third (34.4%) of the HCPs were low active and less than a quarter (23.9%) were somewhat active. Further, less than half (43.9%) of the HCPs were found to have PA levels ≥7,500 steps/day. Overall, nurses had the highest step counts (7,980 steps/day) followed by physiotherapists (7,332 steps/day), while pharmacists had the lowest step counts (6,201 steps/day). There was however no significant difference in the mean step counts of the various cadres of the HCPs (P > 0.05). Step counts of HCPs were found to significantly negatively correlate with their age (r = −0.53; P < 0.001), body mass index (r = −0.39; P < 0.001), and body fat percentage (r = −0.42; P < 0.001).

Conclusion:

PA profile of the HCPs was mostly characterized by a low active PA level and less than a quarter met the recommended minimum of 10,000 steps/day.

Preliminary investigation on prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia: Should we tune our focus on healthy adults?

AIM

Osteoporosis and osteopenia are global health problems with increasing trend, particularly in developed regions. Apart from traditional well-recognized high-risk groups (i.e. postmenopausal women and elders), prevalence of such problems among adults should not be ignored because of the advantages of early detection and health promotion. Therefore, this preliminary study aims to investigate the prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia among adult office workers, which represented a relatively large proportion of the population in urbanized cities.

METHODS

An GE-Lunar Achilles ultrasonometer was used to screen the bone mineral density (BMD) of 80 participants.

RESULTS

The BMD T-score ranged from -3 to 3.5. The majority of the participants had normal BMD result (T-score, ≥ -1), whereas 35% was classified as abnormal (T-score, < -1) including 31.3% osteopenia and 3.8% osteoporosis.

CONCLUSION

High prevalence rate of abnormal BMD among healthy adults should be further studied in this population. The findings also suggest that the current ignorance in adulthood may increase the prevalence of osteoporotic fractures in the future.