Physical activity profile of the Iranian population: STEPS survey, 2016

Abstract

Background Insufficient physical activity (IPA) is one of the leading causes of premature mortality through the increased burden of non-communicable diseases. From 1990 to 2017, the percentage of low physical activity attributable disability-adjusted life years (DALY) increased globally by 1.5 times and 2-fold in Iran, causing more than 1.2 million deaths worldwide and 18,000 deaths in Iran in 2017. Reports suggest that Iran, a developing middle-income country, suffers from a high level of IPA. Socioeconomic and cultural alterations along with the country’s developments expose the population to IPA risk. We aimed to describe IPA prevalence in Iran’s adult population, categorized by demographics, geographical region, and activity domains to assess the present pattern of physical inactivity and its domains in the country. Methods In 2016, in order to represent Iran’s adult population, adult participants (n: 30541) from 30 provinces were selected using systematic proportional to size cluster sampling. Physical activity (PA) was assessed via the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, calculating the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) value in minutes per week for work, recreation, and transport domains. Insufficient physical activity (IPA) was defined according to WHO’s recommendation (less than 600 METs per week). Adjusted odds ratios of IPA associates for sociodemographic, lifestyle related variables, and metabolic risk factors were reported. Results A high prevalence of IPA was seen in the total population (54.7%, 95%CI: 54.0–55.3) with a considerable difference between the two genders (males: 45.3% (95%CI: 44.3–46.3); females: 61.9% (95%CI: 61.0–62.7)). Work-related activity was the domain with the greatest percentage of total PA, whereas, both genders lacked recreational activities. In our findings, being female, a housekeeper, younger and living in urban areas were significantly associated with higher levels of IPA. Moreover, insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption, lack of alcohol consumption, having a personal vehicle, and finally, having a medical history of diabetes were significantly associated with the presence of IPA in our population. Among the study population, 33.6% (95%CI: 33.0–34.2) had at least 4 h of sedentary behavior in a typical day. Conclusions Widespread IPA among the Iranian adult population is of major concern. In our findings, we observed a considerable gap in the prevalence and pattern of IPA between the two genders. Additionally, IPA was associated with living in urban areas, unhealthy lifestyle habits and a history of other metabolic risk factors. Thus, a prompt initiative for population-specific actions should be taken.

A nationwide study of metabolic syndrome prevalence in Iran; a comparative analysis of six definitions

“…The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to calculate physical activity as the Metabolic Equivalents (MET) value in minutes per week for work, recreation, and transport domains. The WHO’s recommendation was considered to define low physical activity as less than 600 MET minutes per week [ 13 ]. Anthropometric indices including height, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), and waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR) were measured as recommended by standard protocols proposed in the STEPs manual [ 14 ].…”

Non-communicable diseases’ risk factors in Iran; a review of the present status and action plans

“…Mainly, Iranians’ physical activity took place in the work domain and lack of recreational activities. Besides, IPA was significantly associated with a positive history of diabetes (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 1.07–1.47, P: 0.005) [ 14 ]. Increasing urbanization and lifestyle changes in the Iranian population were thought to be the leading causes of IPA since the burden was higher in big capital cities of Iran [ 10 ].…”

Physical Activity and Adolescent Health: What Should We Know?

“…The way of life of many populations, especially in developed countries, has changed over time due to technological advances offered by smartphones, computers, video games, television and various other equipment with which we interact with the least possible effort [6]. This has contributed to the fact that the level of physical activity in all age groups is decreasing, making people more sedentary and isolated [7,8,9].…”