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Tharmaratnam T, Iskandar MA, Doherty S, D'Urzo KA, Kopalakrishnan S, Tabobondung TC, Gopee-Ramanan P, Sivagurunathan S, Sivananthan N. The Role of Physical Activity Prescription in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Amongst South Asian Canadians. Front Cardiovasc Med 2018; 5:165. [PMID: 30488037 PMCID: PMC6246639 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2018.00165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Unequivocal evidence suggests an increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) amongst South Asian Canadians (SACs) compared to other ethnic cohorts, due to a combination of their unique cardiometabolic profile and environmental factors. This unfavorable CVD profile is characterized by an elevated risk of dyslipidemia, high apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 ratio, hypertension, glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as increased BMI, body fat percentage, abdominal and visceral adiposity. Despite the overwhelming evidence for the effectiveness of physical activity (PA) in circumventing the onset of CVD and in the reduction of CVD risk factors, SACs are among the most physically inactive cohorts in Canada. This relates to a set of common and unique socio-cultural barriers, such as gender, beliefs and perceptions about illness, immigration, unfavorable PA environments, and their high prevalence of debilitating chronic diseases. Several strategies to improve PA participation rates in this high-risk population have been suggested, and include the implementation of culturally sensitive PA interventions, as well as clinician training in PA prescription through workshops that emphasize knowledge translation into clinical practice. Therefore, the purpose of this mini-review is to highlight and discuss: (1) the burden of heart disease in SACs (2) the cardiovascular benefits of PA for SACs; (3) factors affecting PA participation among SACs and how they can be addressed; (4) the impact of culturally sensitive PA prescription on CVD prevention; (5) barriers to culture-specific PA prescription by clinicians, and strategies to improve its use and impact.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mina A. Iskandar
- School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Adliya, Bahrain
| | - Sally Doherty
- School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
- School of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Adliya, Bahrain
| | - Katrina A. D'Urzo
- School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queens University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | - Tyler Cameron Tabobondung
- Department of Family Medicine, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, Brantford General Hospital, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Prasaanthan Gopee-Ramanan
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Seyon Sivagurunathan
- Department of Family Medicine, Stonechurch Family Health Clinic, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Nirunthan Sivananthan
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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