Regular moderate-intensity exercise has been shown to decrease all-cause mortality and age-related morbidity. Improved cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, and psychologic health has been documented. The ‘effective’ dose of exercise needed to elicit effects likely to be of clinical importance as well as and the concept of accumulation of activity has been extensively debated. Despite this, the major part of adult population does not currently exercise at the recommended levels. Italian public health surveillance systems do not usually include assessments of this type of physical activity. We examined physical activity behaviours of participants in a lifestyle, nutritional, cardiovascular, and immunologic screening survey conducted in Pisa, central Italy. Demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle information was obtained by Lifestyle European Prospective Investigation of Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) questionnaire (including questions on education, socioeconomic status, occupation, history of previous illness and disorders of surgical operations, lifetime history of consumption of tobacco and alcoholic beverages, and physical activity). Smoking habits, educational level, occupational status, daily number of hours engaged in housework, weekly number of hours engaged in physical activities during leisure (walking, cycling, gardening, exercise) and during job (sitting most of the time; light activity, walking around; handiwork with some effort; heavy work) were assessed. Among 116 women (age 44±13 years, range 17 to 73 years) 66% worked, mainly in sedentary and light jobs. Their educational level was the following: 46% secondary, 34% high, 20% graduate. They spent 2.7±1.3 hours/day in housework activities, 2.0±1.7 hours/week in exercise, 1.3±0.5 hours/day in physical activities (including walking, cycling, gardening, and exercise). Increasing physical activity was associated with reduced body mass index. On the contrary, housework activities were not significantly associated with body weight. Time spent in housework decreased with increasing educational level, whereas leisure time physical activities correspondingly increased. Increasing age was associated with reduced physical activity and increased housework. Women’ behaviours were compared with those of 93 men of similar age. These preliminary data are discussed to analyse which could be the most effective methods in lifestyle epidemiology among those presently available. Indeed, although it should be advisable a European survey of lifestyle with particular attention to exercise and physical activity, the lack of standardisation of the assessment methods remains the main methodological drawback for carrying out such studies in practice.
Central Italy: Physical Activity of Female Residents From Pisa Province
MATTEUCCI, ELENA;GIAMPIETRO, OTTAVIO
2008-01-01
Abstract
Regular moderate-intensity exercise has been shown to decrease all-cause mortality and age-related morbidity. Improved cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, and psychologic health has been documented. The ‘effective’ dose of exercise needed to elicit effects likely to be of clinical importance as well as and the concept of accumulation of activity has been extensively debated. Despite this, the major part of adult population does not currently exercise at the recommended levels. Italian public health surveillance systems do not usually include assessments of this type of physical activity. We examined physical activity behaviours of participants in a lifestyle, nutritional, cardiovascular, and immunologic screening survey conducted in Pisa, central Italy. Demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle information was obtained by Lifestyle European Prospective Investigation of Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) questionnaire (including questions on education, socioeconomic status, occupation, history of previous illness and disorders of surgical operations, lifetime history of consumption of tobacco and alcoholic beverages, and physical activity). Smoking habits, educational level, occupational status, daily number of hours engaged in housework, weekly number of hours engaged in physical activities during leisure (walking, cycling, gardening, exercise) and during job (sitting most of the time; light activity, walking around; handiwork with some effort; heavy work) were assessed. Among 116 women (age 44±13 years, range 17 to 73 years) 66% worked, mainly in sedentary and light jobs. Their educational level was the following: 46% secondary, 34% high, 20% graduate. They spent 2.7±1.3 hours/day in housework activities, 2.0±1.7 hours/week in exercise, 1.3±0.5 hours/day in physical activities (including walking, cycling, gardening, and exercise). Increasing physical activity was associated with reduced body mass index. On the contrary, housework activities were not significantly associated with body weight. Time spent in housework decreased with increasing educational level, whereas leisure time physical activities correspondingly increased. Increasing age was associated with reduced physical activity and increased housework. Women’ behaviours were compared with those of 93 men of similar age. These preliminary data are discussed to analyse which could be the most effective methods in lifestyle epidemiology among those presently available. Indeed, although it should be advisable a European survey of lifestyle with particular attention to exercise and physical activity, the lack of standardisation of the assessment methods remains the main methodological drawback for carrying out such studies in practice.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
