Prevalence of Physical Activity Among Adults in a Metropolitan Nigerian City: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

BackgroundBaseline information on physical activity is relevant to controlling the epidemic of chronic noncommunicable diseases occurring in many African countries. However, standardized data on physical activity are lacking in Nigeria. We assessed the prevalence of physical activity and its relationships with sociodemographic characteristics in a subnational sample of Nigerian adults.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among a representative sample of 934 adults (age, 20–82 years) living in metropolitan Maiduguri, Nigeria. Physical activity was measured using the validated Nigerian version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (Hausa IPAQ-SF). Using the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline, participants were classified as sufficiently active or insufficiently active. Sociodemographic correlates of sufficient physical activity were identified using multinomial logistic regression.ResultsOverall, 68.6% of Nigerian adults were sufficiently active. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in prevalence of physical activity between men (68.0%) and women (69.3%), but physical activity tended to decrease with increasing age category, especially among men. Physical activity prevalence was positively associated with being married (OR = 1.52, CI = 1.04–4.37) and blue collar work (OR = 2.19, CI = 1.16–4.12) and negatively associated with car ownership (OR = 0.38, CI = 0.17–0.86) and higher income (OR = 0.54, CI = 0.10–0.95).ConclusionsThe prevalence of physical activity varied between sociodemographic subgroups of Nigerian adults; thus, public health policies and interventions based on ecologic models of health behaviors may be warranted in promoting physical activity in Nigeria.

Perception and Misperception of Health Enhancing Physical Activity among Urban Community Dwellers in Ibadan, Nigeria: Profiling the Underestimators, the Overestimators, and the Realists

“…Generally, physical activity is low among many populations with a global prevalence of physical inactivity ranging between 24% and 62% (Macera et al, 2003;Kruger, Ham, Kohl, & Sapkota, 2004;Al-Hazzaa, 2004;Dumith, Hallal, Reis, & Kohl III, 2011). Compared to the current study, a previous study had reported a lower prevalence of physical inactivity of 31.4% (Oyeyemi et al, 2013), although that study was conducted in the Northwestern region of Nigeria while the current study was conducted in the Southwestern region of Nigeria, However, it is important to note that participants in the current study were community dwelling individuals who live essentially in high density areas with closely knitted residential buildings, heavy human and vehicular traffic, street trading, on-walkway parking of automobiles and low walkability areas. Adults from neighbourhoods with high walkability areas have been reported to have more than 70 more minutes of physical activity than residents of low walkability neighbourhoods (Saelens, Sallis, Black, & Chen, 2003).…”

“…For example, the few studies that considered physical activity of apparently healthy adult population in Nigeria had reported a fairly high prevalence of physical inactivity. It had been reported that physical inactivity ranged between 25% and 57% for the Nigerian population (Abubakario & Bhopai, 2008;A. L. Oyeyemi, A. Y. Oyeyemi, Jidda, & Babagana, 2013).…”

Physical Activity and Associated Socioeconomic Determinants in Rural and Urban Tanzania: Results from the 2012 WHO-STEPS Survey

“…Findings from a study that employed both objective and subjective PA assessments have also shown a gender difference in levels of PA [7], implying that, in general, African women still have lower overall PA levels when compared to men. In contrary, a study conducted in urban Nigeria reported no difference in the levels of PA between males and females [43]. This Nigerian study, which involved an entirely urban population, could be an evidence for the changing PA trends in urban populations, which further substantiate the impact of urbanization on PA.…”

Association of physical activity with metabolic syndrome in a predominantly rural Nigerian population

“…It is estimated that one out of five adults globally is physically inactive [6]. In subSaharan Africa the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its risk factors is considered to have attained an epidemic level [7][8][9], which in part is orchestrated by high prevalence of physical inactivity among urban area dwellers [10][11][12][13]. The metabolic syndrome can be prevented by action on the modifiable risk factors.…”