Physical Activity Behaviour and Comparison of GPAQ and Travel Diary Transport-Related Physical Activity in Accra, Ghana

The prevalence and determinants of non-communicable diseases among Ghanaian adults: A survey at a secondary healthcare level

The current epidemiological transition of diseases in Ghana necessitates understanding their burden and the associated context-specific risk factors to inform disease prevention strategies. To determine the prevalence and determinants of selected Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) among patients seeking healthcare services in a secondary health facility in Ghana. A facility-based survey was conducted among adult patients 18 years and above between May and July 2021, using a multi-stage sampling approach. Data regarding the prevalence of NCDs, participants' socio-demographics and lifestyle factors of NCDs were obtained using Modified STEPwise Approach to NCD Risk Factor Surveillance (STEPS). The Chi-square test and regression analysis were performed to identify the risk factors of NCDs at P < 0.05. The participants comprised 480 patients with a mean age of 37.7±16.5 years, and 57.7% (277/480) of them were females. The overall prevalence of the selected NCDs was 26.7% (CI = 0.23-0.31), of which hypertension (22.7%) was the most prevalent. More than half (54.2%) of the participants engaged in alcohol consumption and 54% were physically inactive. The odds of developing NCDs were higher in females (CI = 1.32-4.10, P = 0.004), older adults (CI = 4.11-20.68, P <0.001), overweight/obese adults (CI = 1.65-4.70, P < 0.001), family history (CI = 0.15-0.46, P<0.001), and alcohol consumption (CI = 0.12-0.40, P < 0.001). There was an overall high prevalence of NCDs, strongly influenced by the participants' age, sex, BMI, alcohol consumption, and family history. These determinants should be highlighted as part of the campaign for preventive action plans.

Physical Activity in Malaysia: Are We Doing Enough? Findings from the REDISCOVER Study

Physical activity (PA) in the form of structured or unstructured exercise is beneficial for health. This paper aims to study PA levels across four domains according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and its associated factors. A total of 7479 Malaysian adult participants between 18 to 90 years old from the REDISCOVER study who completed the IPAQ were analyzed. PA was calculated as MET-min per week and were categorized according to insufficiently active, sufficiently active and very active. Multinomial regression was used to determine the association between sociodemographic, clinical factors and the level of PA. The mean age of the participants was 51.68 (±9.5 SD). The total reported physical activity in median (IQR) was 1584.0 (0-5637.3) MET-min per week. The highest total for PA was in the domestic domain which is 490 (0-2400) MET-min per week. Factors associated with sufficiently active or very active PA include Malay ethnicity, no formal education, elementary occupation, current smokers and high HDL. Whereas low income, male and normal BMI are less likely to participate in sufficiently active or very active PA. Intervention to encourage higher PA levels in all domains is important to achieve recommended PA targets.