THE FIRST STUDY ON EMIRATI WOMEN TO EXPLORE THE ASSOCIATION OF ACCELEROMETER-MEASURED PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITH SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC, ANTHROPOMETRIC, DIETARY AND SLEEP FACTORS

R.A. Alsamman^1,2, T.M. Shousha^1,3, A. Arumugam^1,3,4

¹University of Sharjah, Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, ²Sharjah Social Services Department, Home care/Medical Department, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, ³Neuromusculoskeletal Rehabilitation Research Group, RIMHS–Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, ⁴Sustainable Engineering Asset Management Research Group, RISE-Research Institute of Sciences and Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Background: A significant lack of physical activity among UAE population has been widely documented and this was a factor linked to a high increase in obesity in Emirati women. Moreover, the physical activity levels of UAE population, specifically Emiratis, have been addressed subjectively with questionnaire surveys but were not measured objectively with accelerometers yet.

Purpose: The study explored current sedentary behavior and physical activity levels and their association with sociodemographic, anthropometric, dietary and sleep quality factors among Emirati women employed in desk jobs.

Methods: A convenience sample of 163 women was recruited. Participants wore accelerometers on their thigh for 7 days during their normal working day and weekend which measured the sedentary life style, sitting time, moderate, vigorous and total physical activity time. Forward stepwise selection regression analysis was used (taking the first category as a reference) to find the association between the independent variables (age, education, marital status, number of children, maid assistance, salary, comorbidities, number of years of working, hours of working, body mass index, waist height ratio, body fat %, estimated Visceral fat area, fat mass index, sleep quality, and dietary intake) and dependent variables normalized to 16 hours of wake time per day (sitting time, moderate activity time, vigorous activity time, MVPA and total activity time). Emirati women (n=110) with valid data were included in the analysis.

Results: Emirati women (n = 110) with a desk job had a high sitting time (11.6 ± 1.1 hours per 16-hour day) minimal moderate activity time (40.88 ± 17.99 minutes per 16-hour day) and a low vigorous activity time (2.41 ± 1.21 minutes per 16-hour day). Association between independent and dependent variables differed based on the type of dependent variable (sitting time, moderate activity time, vigorous activity time, MVPA time or total activity time). Sitting time increased with an increase in body fat and was elevated in secondary educated and divorced participants and reduced in those with a good sleep quality. Moderate physical activity time increased with an increase of BMI, and was elevated in married participants. Vigorous physical activity increased with an increase in years of work experience and was reduced in women with the presence of one or more comorbidities and good sleep quality. Moderate to vigorous physical activity time was found to be increased with dietary intake and in women with postgraduate education, and it decreased with an increase in years of work experience and the presence of comorbidities. Total activity time increased with increasing age and those with a good sleep quality whereas it decreased with increasing body fat and those with the presence of one or more comorbidities, secondary education, and divorcees.

Conclusions: Age, educational status, marital status, presence of comorbidities, years of working, anthropometric characteristics (e.g. BMI, body fat %, estimated visceral fat area) or dietary intake had a variable association depending on the type of outcome variable (sitting time, moderate activity time, vigorous activity time, MVPA or total activity time) in Emirati women.

Implications: Future longitudinal studies could consider these factors while investigating the predictors of physical activity in Emirati women.

Funding acknowledgements: College of Graduate Studies, University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Keywords:
Physical activity
Emirati women
Accelerometer

Topics:
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Musculoskeletal

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: University of Sharjah

Committee: The Research Ethics Committee

Ethics number: REC-20-05-21-03-S