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M.A. Cano-Cappellacci1, P. Ibacache-Saavedra2, J. Tortella-González3
1Universidad de Chile, Physical Therapy, Santiago, Chile, 2Universidad Andres Bello, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Santiago, Chile, 3Universidad Autónoma, School of Physiotherapy, Santiago, Chile
Background: Increasing physical activity levels has been proposed as a goal for improving health worldwide, being walking one of the most acknowledged interventions used to promote physical activity (PA). Waist-to-height ratio(WHtR) has gained importance as an indicator of abdominal obesity and early health risk. Step-based recommendations for physical activity has been used in different countries and are better received by the large segment of the population who do not regularly engage in any other exercise apart from walking. However, there is controversial information regarding how much walking is enough to get health benefits.
Purpose: The aim of this research was to determine the influence of fulfilling the recommendation of 10,000 steps/day on cardiometabolic risk (according to [WHtR]), Health Related Physical Fitness and PA
Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted in a population of undergraduate university students (n=27). All subjects were recruited over a 4-month period. The study included adult men and women, 18 to 30 years old. Participants with self-reported noncommunicable diseases or exercise-limiting comorbidities such as musculoskeletal impairments were excluded.
All subjects were informed of the procedures to be used and signed a written informed consent form before initiating their participation in the study. The study protocol adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the institutional research committee (registered number A82-2018).
Two assessment sessions separated by 7 days were conducted. At the first, anthropometry and body composition were evaluated, and an accelerometer was delivered, with the respective indications for use. The second session included muscle strength testing and measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness.
It was also analyzed through a multiple regression if sex corresponded to a confounding variable; and it was compared between groups that met and did not meet the recommendation of 10,000 steps/day with the one-way ANOVA test, regarding their body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, MQI, physical activity and sedentary behavior. The same analysis was conducted for those participants who had WHtR< 0.5 and those with a higher ratio respect their body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, MQI, physical activity and sedentary behavior.
All analyzes were performed with the statistical program SPSS 26.0.
All subjects were informed of the procedures to be used and signed a written informed consent form before initiating their participation in the study. The study protocol adhered to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the institutional research committee (registered number A82-2018).
Two assessment sessions separated by 7 days were conducted. At the first, anthropometry and body composition were evaluated, and an accelerometer was delivered, with the respective indications for use. The second session included muscle strength testing and measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness.
It was also analyzed through a multiple regression if sex corresponded to a confounding variable; and it was compared between groups that met and did not meet the recommendation of 10,000 steps/day with the one-way ANOVA test, regarding their body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, MQI, physical activity and sedentary behavior. The same analysis was conducted for those participants who had WHtR< 0.5 and those with a higher ratio respect their body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, MQI, physical activity and sedentary behavior.
All analyzes were performed with the statistical program SPSS 26.0.
Results: Participants who performed at least 10,000 steps (12 students) had a lower WHtR, a lower percentage of fat mass and visceral fat area and a higher percentage of lean mass than those who performed less than 10,000 steps/day. At the same time, the participants who met this recommendation had higher levels of relative HGS and VO2peak relative to body weight than those who did not.
Additionally, students who performed 10,000 steps/day or more, spent less time in sedentary behavior and performed a greater amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
Additionally, students who performed 10,000 steps/day or more, spent less time in sedentary behavior and performed a greater amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).
Conclusions: Simple daily step count is an excellent indicator of PA levels and support WHtR as a simple and effective screening tool for abdominal obesity (visceral fat area) in clinical practice.
Implications: The use of easy and inexpensive assessment methods would give to the physiotherapist valuable information to improve the decision making process in a therapeutic or health promotion intervention.
Funding acknowledgements: There was no external funding for this research
Keywords:
Cardiometabolic risk
Physical activity
Body composition
Cardiometabolic risk
Physical activity
Body composition
Topics:
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) & risk factors
Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing/physical activity
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) & risk factors
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: Universidad Andrés Bello
Committee: Ethic Committee of the Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty
Ethics number: A82-2018
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
