ABSTRACT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the profile of physical activity (PA) among Lagos State senior civil servants (LSCSs). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey in which 305 LSCSs (163 men, 142 women) with age range 25 65 years, in five ministries of the LSCS was carried out in May of 2011. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to assess respondents' PA at work, for transport, and during leisure time during the last 7 days. RESULTS: Overall, 56.7% of the respondents (58.3% men and 54.9% women) were active; equivalent to 43.3% inactive respondents (41.7% men and 54.9% women). In spite of the high prevalence of physical inactivity in the women, gender was not significantly associated with PA levels (p = 0.718). However, the educational status and cadre of respondents were significantly associated with PA levels (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study showed that close to half of LSCSs were physically inactive. There was no significant difference between the PA levels of men and women but educational status and cadre were associated with the PA levels of respondents. The results provided by this study suggests the need for the Lagos State government and stakeholders to formulate polices, plan programmes and interventions for LSCSs to get more physically active.
Subject(s)
Activities of Daily Living , Physical Conditioning, Human/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , Demography , Female , Health Services Needs and Demand , Humans , Leisure Activities , Male , Middle Aged , Motor Activity , Nigeria/epidemiology , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Socioeconomic Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , Transportation/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Participation in physical activity (PA) and healthy nutrition are important factors that affects muscle and bone strength and the resultant functioning in the activities of daily living (ADL) skills including the overall quality of life (QoL) of geriatric individuals. However, the relationships between all these parameters are yet to be fully documented and studies from developing countries are lacking. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the relationships between PA level, frequency of nutritional intake of food rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D and the basic ADL, instrumental ADL and QoL of geriatric individuals in Lagos, Nigeria. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 394 geriatric individuals. A combination of standardized questionnaires which assessed the socio-demographic parameters, PA level, frequency of intake of food rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D, ADL skills, and QoL of the geriatric individuals was used. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-square. RESULTS: The highest proportion (35.5%) of participating geriatric individuals was at the active PA level. PA level was statistically associated with QoL, basic and instrumental ADL, (X2 = 199.57, p = 0.001; X2 = 87.07, p = 0.000; and X2 = 164.53, p = 0.001 respectively). There was also an association between frequency of intake of food rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D and the basic ADL (X2 = 97.43, p = 0.001), instrumental ADL (X2 = 151.56, p = 0.001) and QoL (X2 = 250.21, p = 0.001) of the studied geriatric individuals. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that an increase in PA level and regular intake of food rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin D were associated with optimal functional status and better QoL in geriatric individuals. Educational programmes on the importance of participation in regular PA and healthy nutrition are imperative and recommended for geriatric individuals.
