This study evaluated the effects of aerobic exercise program on the cardiovascular parameters, body composition, and quality of life (QoL) of people living with human immune virus (HIV). Patients were recruited from the HIV clinic in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Fish bowl method was used to randomize the patients to either experimental or control group. Experimental group received nutritional counseling and aerobic exercise program on a treadmill, 3 times a week for a period of 6 weeks, while the control group received only nutritional counseling. Cardiovascular parameters, aerobic fitness, body composition parameters, and QoL were evaluated at baseline and 6 weeks. Descriptive statistics was used to explore demographic data while the hypothesis was tested using inferential statistics of t-test. Alpha level was set at P<0.05. The result showed that there was an improvement in cardiovascular parameters in both groups, attaining significance in the experimental group (P=0.000). Aerobic fitness increased significantly in experimental group (P=0.000). Body composition decreased significantly while there was a significant difference in the muscle mass (%) between groups (P<0.05). All domains of QoL had a significant improvement in both groups (P<0.005). A 6-week aerobic exercise program in addition to nutritional counseling was able to significantly improve cardiovascular fitness, body composition, and QoL in people living with HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Nutritional counseling alone can bring about an improvement only in QoL parameters.
Background: Physical activity (PA) and exercise is recommended in clinical guidelines for the maintenance of good health status and management of Non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). At present, no study has evaluated the predictive factors of self-reported PA level among patients with NSCLBP. This study sought to determine the predictors of self-reported PA level among patients with NSCLBP. Methods: This cross-sectional survey involved 57 participants conveniently recruited from the physiotherapy department of a tertiary hospital. Four self-administered questionnaires: A structured socio-demographic data questionnaire, Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), Modified Assessing Levels of Physical Activity (ALPHA) environmental questionnaire and long form of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize data in the frequency and percentage tables. A step-wise multiple regressions were used to determine the predictors of the four domains of PA (job-related (JRPA), transport-related (TRPA), domestic/garden-related (DGPA) and leisure time-related (LTPA)). Alpha level was set at p<0.05. Results: Males had a higher JRPA, TRPA and LTPA. Females had a higher DGPA. The socio-demographic, clinical and environmental variables assessed in the study were only able to account for 45.9%, 60.6%, 97% and 60.7% of the variance in JRPA, TRPA, DGPA and LTPA domains respectively. Conclusion: PA level of NSCLBP patients were moderately high and predicted by some socio-demographic, clinical and perceived environmental variables. More emphasis should be placed on the assessment of these selected variables to improve on the management of NSCLBP and thus obtain optimum outcome.
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