Leisure Time Physical Activity and Cardio‐Metabolic Health: Results From the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA‐Brasil)

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough increasing effort has been devoted to the promotion of a healthy lifestyle such as leisure time physical activity for cardio‐metabolic health, specific evidence supporting health policy remains sparse, particularly in those ethnically diverse populations where cardio‐metabolic diseases are reaching epidemic proportion and yet are grossly understudied.Methods and ResultsWe conducted a cross‐sectional analysis of the baseline data from 10 585 participants aged 35 to 74 free of cardiovascular diseases in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health. Leisure time physical activity status was defined by the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization recommendations (≥150 min/week moderate activities or 75 min/week vigorous activities). In total, 1183 (21%) women and 1387 (29%) men were active. After accounting for covariates, the favorable effects of leisure time physical activity on cardio‐metabolic parameters were evident. Specifically, the average blood pressure, heart rate, and Framingham Risk Score for cardiovascular diseases of the active were significantly lower within each sex. The ORs comparing the active versus the inactive women were 0.78 (95% CI: 0.66–0.92) for hypertension and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.65–0.93) for cardiovascular diseases in 10 years. Among men, the ORs were 0.75 (95% CI: 0.65–0.87) for hypertension and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.61–0.87) for diabetes. The 10‐year risk of cardiovascular diseases was significantly lower among the active men with a 33% reduction (OR=0.67, 95% CI: 0.57–0.78).ConclusionsWe observed beneficial effects of leisure time physical activity on cardio‐metabolic health in this large Brazilian population that are consistent with studies in North America and Europe.

Association between leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behavior with cardiometabolic health in the ELSA-Brasil participants

“…5–16 Recently, our research group published results on the baseline data (first wave) of the ELSA-Brasil showing inverse associations between leisure-time physical activity alone and hypertension, diabetes, and 10-year cardiovascular disease risk, both for men and women. 17…”

“…On the other hand, various studies have shown that physical activity, particularly when performed within the domain of leisure time, is inversely associated with cardiometabolic diseases including diabetes, dyslipidemias, hypertension, and inflammatory markers. 12–17…”

Atividade Física e Redução do Comportamento Sedentário durante a Pandemia do Coronavírus

“…Physical activity has been shown to be inversely associated with blood pressure levels, diabetes, lipid alterations, and other cardiovascular events. 4,8 With respect to duration and intensity of physical activity required for these benefits to occur, a recent publication suggested that 180 to 300 minutes of moderate to intense activity weekly for men and 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to intense activity for women would be the most adequate measure for promoting cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits. 9 These recommendations are in agreement with the main physical activity guidelines published by international organizations.…”

Age Related Differences in Neighborhood Sense of Community: Impacts of the Neighborhood Environment and Leisure Time Physical Activity

“…LTPA is commonly associated with a variety of health related benefits such as improved cardiovascular (Fransson et al 2003;Lin et al 2016) and mental health (Stathi et al 2002), and reduced stress (Benson 1975;Iwasaki 2006) and obesity (Bauman et al 2008) levels. In addition to these physical health benefits, engaging in physical activity during leisure draws people together socially and encourages the development of durable social networks (Glover and Parry 2008;Saito et al 2013;Coleman and Iso-Ahola 1993).…”