Sobrepeso, obesidad y actividad física en estudiantes de enfermería pregrado de una universidad privada

Introducción: La obesidad es un factor de riesgo directo para la aparición y desarrollo de patologías crónicas no transmisibles, como la diabetes, hipertensión, enfermedad renal y cardiovascular. El sobrepeso y obesidad están relacionados entre otros factores a la inactividad física en los diferentes grupos etáreos, lo cual genera un problema de salud pública que requiere atención oportuna y estrategias de prevención y control en la población. Objetivos: Determinar el sobrepeso, obesidad y su relación con la actividad física, en los estudiantes de enferme-ría pre grado de la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, 2017. Material y Método: Estudio descriptivo transversal y analítico, con una muestra aleatoria extraída de 198 alumnos, a quienes se les aplicó el instrumento validado Cuestionario Internacional de Actividad Física, previamente se tomaron medidas de peso, talla y calculó el Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC). Los estadísticos utilizados para medir la asociación fueron Tau-C de Kendall y coeficiente D de Somers. Resultados: Del total de la muestra, el 14,1 % tienen obesidad, 31,7% sobrepeso, y el 52,8% están en condición normal. Respecto a la actividad física los estudiantes realizan actividad física baja y moderada con el 40,8% y 53,5% respectivamente, el 5,6% de los participantes realiza actividad física alta, destacando el sexo femenino en mayor proporción. Conclusión: Existe una relación inversa entre la actividad física y las categorías de IMC, a mayor IMC se evidencia baja actividad física en la población de estudio.

Levels of physical activity, health-related quality of life, physical self-concept and body-mass index among Colombian students

Introduction: Physical activity, health-related quality of life, self-concept and body-mass index are indicators of a healthy lifestyle. Objective: To determine the levels of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle, the health-related quality of life, the physical self-concept and the body-mass index in Colombian middle and highschool students. Materials and methods: We included 1,253 students between 10 and 20 years of age (601 men and 652 women) in the study. We used the following instruments for the measurements: A weighing machine, a stadiometer, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12®), and the Physical Self-concept Questionnaire in its Spanish version. Results: The statistical analysis showed higher levels in the body-mass index among female students and higher scores for the physical condition, self-concept and competence among male students, with meaningful statistical differences (p<0,05). Additionally, women had higher scores in moderate and vigorous physical activity, while men had higher scores in walking. Men got higher scores in the dimension of health-related quality of life, except in the social function, which differed significantly from the general health, emotional role, mental health, and vitality dimensions. Conclusions: We found a relation between the body-mass index and the physical condition and competence self-concept, as well as between body-mass index and general health, physical function, mental health and vitality. We also found a relation between a sedentary lifestyle and general health, body pain, and physical role.

[Body composition and physical fitness in Colombian high school students from Ibagué]

INTRODUCTION

Body composition and other components of physical fitness have proved to be important markers of health condition.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze body composition and physical fitness in Colombian students from public high schools of Ibagué, as well as to study differences between sexes and age groups, and establish correlations between some of the variables.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The sample consisted of 1,253 students (601 males; 652 females), with an age range of 10-20 years. The ALPHA-Fitness test (extended version) was applied. Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference and fat percentage were assessed.

RESULTS

Differences between sexes were found in the variables studied, with greater BMI and fat percentage among females (20.6 kg/m2 vs. 19.4 kg/m2 and 26.1% vs. 16.8%, respectively); however, waist circumference was greater in males (69.6 cm vs. 67.9 cm), who also showed better fitness in the rest of the physical tests (p<0.05). In both sexes, age was associated to increases in BMI (p<0.05), and among females to fat percentage as well (p<0.05); among males it was the opposite, as in them, age was inversely associated to fat percentage (p<0.05). For the rest of the physical tests, age was positively associated to fitness both in men and women, except for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max). Correlations were found between some of the variables studied.

CONCLUSIONS

Adiposity was significantly greater in females than in males (p<0.05). Males showed better levels of aerobic, musculoskeletal and motor capacities.