Exposure to a Community-Wide Physical Activity Promotion Program and Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Aracaju, Brazil

Abstract

Background:Evaluation studies of large scale physical activity promotion programs are rare in Latin America. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the association between various forms of exposure to Academia da Cidade (PAC), a professionally supervised intervention in Aracaju (Brazil), and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA).Methods:A population-based study including 2267 adults was carried out. LTPA was assessed using the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and a cut-off of 150 minutes per week was used in the analyses.Results:In fully adjusted models, having ever heard about PAC was related to an odds of 1.8 (95% CI 1.4−2.2) for reaching the 150-minutes per week LTPA threshold. Equivalent odds ratios were 1.6 (95% CI 1.1−2.3) for having ever seen a PAC class, 14.3 (95% CI 12.3−16.4) for current and 4.0 (95% CI 1.4−11.3) for past PAC participation.Conclusion:Different sources of exposure to PAC were significantly associated with LTPA, which may suggest that professionally-supervised community classes offered for free may be a successful alternative for promoting physical activity in Brazil. If PAC happens to be expanded to other Brazilian areas, intervention studies may be carried out to evaluate its effectiveness.

Leisure-time physical activity in the vicinity of Academias da Cidade Program in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil: the impact of a health promotion program on the community

“…Previous assessments in some Brazilian State capitals suggest a positive influence from ACP on the physical activity of non-users, translated as the indirect effect of having seen or heard of the program 32,33 . However, none of these studies compared groups with and without such interventions or assessed the association between physical activity and distance to the centers.…”

Avaliabilidade do Programa Academia da Saúde no Município do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil

“…Embora programas com o propósito de oferecer atividades físicas supervisionadas e gratuitas, como é o caso do Programa Academia da Saúde, possam caracterizar-se como uma alternativa eficiente para a promoção da atividade física 15 , evidências apontam que existem poucos artigos avaliando programas de atividade física na América Latina 16 . Além disso, até o momento, não existem na literatura estudos que tenham verificado a avaliabilidade do Programa Academia da Saúde.…”

Assessing Participation in Community-Based Physical Activity Programs in Brazil

“…In Bogota, Colombia, the combination of closing the streets to motorized vehicles and the offering of free physical activity classes to the community have been implemented for more than a decade (30). In Brazil, medium- and large-sized cities have implemented physical activity classes and environmental changes to deliver programs to the population free of charge (20,21,27,28,31). The peer review literature has highlighted these examples as promising interventions with high potential for scaling-up and dissemination to other regions (16,17), primarily due to two reasons.…”