Prevalence of sufficient levels of physical activity and associated factors in women

DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.20164004410417

Abstract

Physical activity is an important factor for a healthy life. Despite the benefits, most of the population does not meet the
minimum recommendations. The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of sufficient physical activity
and associated factors in women residing in Lages-SC. This cross-sectional descriptive study included a sample of 353
women between 20 and 59 years of age, according to a sample calculation based on the total population of women
in this age group based on the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). For the purposes of analysis, they
were divided into three age groups: group 1 (20-33 years), group 2 (34-45 years) and group 3 (46-59 years). A self-
administered questionnaire was used: A) personal identification; B) socioeconomic situation - Brazilian Association
of Population Studies; C) International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The descriptive and inferential statistics were
used through a two-way ANOVA followed by a Bonferroni’s Post Hoc test and a chi-square test. It was observed that
approximately 70% of the women were considered sufficiently active, and a moderate intensity of physical activity was
the most prevalent in all age groups, with a total of 76 min / day (p = 0.038); group 2 stood out in both categories. It is
possible to report that the women of Lages meet the recommendation for the practice of physical activity, representing
70.4% in this study, and accumulate at least 30 daily minutes of moderate physical activity. These results may allow future
comparisons and new reflections on the practice of physical activity and its benefits, mainly in the female population.