SSR Institute of International Journal of Life Sciences

ISSN (O): 2581-8740 | ISSN (P): 2581-8732

Sharma et al., 2024
DOI: 10.21276/SSR-IIJLS.2024.10.1.29

Research Article

A Study to Assess Association Between Physical Activity Levels and

Anthropometric Measurements among Adults of a Tertiary Care
Teaching Hospital
Arun Sharma1, Prashant Verma2, Aditya Thakur2, Rajesh Tiwari3, Jagmohan Singh Dhakar4, Aryasree L1*
1
PG Resident, Department of Community Medicine, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur, MP, India
2
Associate Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur,
Madhya Pradesh, India
3
Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur, MP, India
4
Statistician, Department of Community Medicine, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Medical College, Jabalpur, MP, India

*Address for Correspondence: Dr. Aryasree L, PG Resident, Department of Community Medicine, NSCB Medical
College, Jabalpur-482003, Madhya Pradesh, India
E-mail: [email protected]

Received: 07 Aug 2023/ Revised: 30 Oct 2023/ Accepted: 03 Dec 2023

ABSTRACT
Background: Physical inactivity is a growing concern in India, contributing significantly to various health issues and lifestyle-related
diseases. Once known for its active and physically demanding lifestyle, the country is now grappling with a rising trend of
sedentary behaviour.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Central India's tertiary care teaching institute. The study was
carried out between January 2020 and October 2021. Participants in the study ranged in age from 18 to 65 and were either
employed by or students at tertiary care teaching institutions. The study had 348 individuals in total. Using a random number
table, each participant from their stratum was chosen at random from the list. There were 162 undergraduates, 30 interns, 52
postgraduates, 52 faculty members, and 52 nursing staff members.
Results: This study found that 8.62% of respondents had insufficient physical activity, which is lower than previous global
estimates. The results showed significant associations between various anthropometric measurements and level of physical
activity. Normal anthropometric measures were correlated with higher physical activity levels, while abnormal measures
correlated with lower activity levels.
Conclusion: It indicates the importance of sufficient exercise to maintain a healthy body size and reduce the risk of non-
communicable diseases. Workplace wellness programs can be implemented at the facility level that encourage physical activity
during the workday, such as standing desks, walking meetings, and fitness breaks, on-site gyms or partnerships with nearby fitness
centres walking & jogging paths.
Key-words: Physical Activity, Exercise, Anthropometric, Lifestyle, World Health Organization

INTRODUCTION
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), any body This covers any movement that a person does for
movement that is skeletal muscle-driven involves energy recreation, transportation to and from locations, or
expenditure and qualifies it as "physically active." employment. Physical activity, whether at a moderate or
How to cite this article high intensity, benefits health. [1,2]
Sharma A, Verma P, Thakur A, Tiwari R, Dhakar JS. A Study to However, failing to achieve the current guidelines for
Assess Association Between Physical Activity Levels and physical activity recommended by the WHO is "physically
Anthropometric Measurements among Adults of a Tertiary Care
Teaching Hospital. SSR Inst Int J Life Sci., 2024; 10(1): 3650-3655. inactive." This can be defined as fewer than 150–300
minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, less than
75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise, or
Access this article online
http://iijls.com/ a comparable mix of moderate- and vigorous-intensity
exercise spread out over the week for adults. [1]

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 SSR Institute of International Journal of Life Sciences
ISSN (O): 2581-8740 | ISSN (P): 2581-8732
Sharma et al., 2024
DOI: 10.21276/SSR-IIJLS.2024.10.1.29

Lack of exercise might raise one's risk of passing away study was carried out between January 2020 and
and cause other health problems. Non-active people October 2021.
have a 20% to 30% higher chance of dying than
appropriately active people.[3] The estimated prevalence Study Subjects- Adult respondents studied or worked at
of physical inactivity among adults worldwide in 2016 tertiary care teaching institutes.
was 27.5%2. However, more recent research showed
Sample Size and Sampling Method- The sample size was
that 28% of people worldwide, or 1.4 billion people, are
determined using the formula S= Z2 x P x(1-p)/d2. In a
physically inactive, which is more than one in four
prior study, the prevalence (P) of physical inactivity was
people. This information was published in The Lancet
27·5%. [13] In this case, it was believed that d, or absolute
Global Health in 2018. [4] There is a significantly high
error, would be 5%. After adding a 10% non-respondent
frequency of physical inactivity in India. Over half of the
rate, 338 was the calculated sample size. An appropriate
participants in a multi-centre study that was carried out
representative sample was selected using the stratified
across four areas of India were found to be inactive. [5]
random sampling method based on the percentage of
Moreover, the percentage of people who participate in
the entire eligible population. There were 162
recreational physical activity is less than 10%. [6]
undergraduates, 30 interns, 52 postgraduates, 52 faculty
In Madhya Pradesh, 19.6% of people (18–69 years old)
members, and 52 nursing staff members. The study had
reported being physically inactive in 2017–2019.[7] When
348 individuals in total. Using a random number table,
compared to the Indian national average, this is
each participant from their stratum was chosen at
comparatively lower. Physical activity and a range of
random from the list.
anthropometric measures are tightly related. Those who
are physically active typically weigh less and have lower Inclusion and exclusion criteria- The study only included
body fat percentages. [8] The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a individuals who volunteered to take part; those who
widely used and practical tool for determining an were pregnant, had experienced cardiac problems in the
individual's weight. [9] It's a body fat estimation past, had a locomotor disability, had neck deformities,
determined by a person's height and weight. A higher thyroid diseases, or Cushing's illness were excluded.
body mass index (BMI) may be associated with an
increased risk of heart disease, hypertension, type 2 Study tools and technique- The study instrument
diabetes, gallstones, breathing difficulties, and some consists of two main parts: a pre-tested semi-structured
malignancies. [10] questionnaire based on the Global Physical Activity
The Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR), a crucial measure of body Questionnaire (GPAQ) from the World Health
fat distribution, can provide important information about Organization. It comprises sixteen items organized into
a person's overall health. A WHR greater than 1.0 may three main categories: travel, occupation, and leisure
increase the risk of developing obesity-related conditions activities. [14] Physical activity is measured in Metabolic
like heart disease and type 2 diabetes, even in cases Equivalent for Tasks (MET), the ratio of an individual's
when other obesity markers, such as BMI, are within resting metabolic rate to their working metabolic rate. A
reasonable bounds. [11] MET, or the energy cost of sitting still, equals one
Obesity and cardiovascular illnesses are two prominent kilogram of calories per kilogram hour. It has been
health disorders for which physical inactivity is a key risk calculated that an individual's calorie consumption
factor. [12] We can better understand the health concerns increases four times during moderate activity and eight
linked to physical inactivity by examining the association times with vigorous activity compared to sitting quietly.
between anthropometric measurements and physical
activity. For Work domain - Moderate MET value= 4.0, Vigorous
MET value= 8.0.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in For Transport Domain -Cycling and Walking MET value
Central India's tertiary care teaching institution. The =4.0.

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 SSR Institute of International Journal of Life Sciences
ISSN (O): 2581-8740 | ISSN (P): 2581-8732
Sharma et al., 2024
DOI: 10.21276/SSR-IIJLS.2024.10.1.29

For Recreation/ Leisure-Moderate MET value =4.0, Table 1: Socio-demographic characteristics of the
Vigorous MET value =8.0. respondents (n=348)
Variables Frequency (n=348) Percentage (%)
According to the GPAQ interpretation rules, an individual Age group (years) Male
was deemed physically active if, over a week, they
18 -30 135 54.22
engaged in either a) more than 150 minutes of
31-45 30 42.86
moderately-intense physical activity or b) more than 75
minutes of vigorously-intense physical activity. c.) A 46-65 8 27.59
comparable mix of intense and vigorous-intense exercise Age group (years) Female
that results in at least 600 MET minutes per week. Based 18 -30 114 45.78
on the parameters, Physical activity was divided into 31-45 40 57.14
three categories according to MET minutes per week. A 46-65 21 72.41
week's worth of activity is divided into three categories:
Education
insufficiently active (600–2999 MET), moderately active
UG 193. 55.46
(600–2999 MET), and highly active (>3000 MET).
Graduate 99. 28.45
The second part of the study instrument contains the
anthropometric measurements, which include weight, Post- 56. 16.09
Graduate
height, waist circumference, waist hip ratio, and neck
Occupational Group
circumference.
.UG Student 162. 46.55
Statistical Analysis- Total 348 respondents' data was . Intern 30. 8.62
gathered, and the Software Microsoft Excel 2016 was .PG Student 52 14.94
used to enter it. SPSS version 16 was employed to . Faculty 52 14.94
analyze the data. To present the data, appropriate
. Nursing 52 14.94
descriptive statistics were applied. staff
Religion
Ethical consideration- The Institutional Ethics Committee
. Hindu 311. 89.37
has granted ethical clearance. Not including any
information in the questionnaire that would reveal the . Muslim 12. 3.45
participants' identities preserved the participants' . Christian 13. 3.74
anonymity. Participants gave their informed consent. . Jain 9. 2.59
. Sikh 2. 0.57
RESULTS
The sample consisted of 348 individuals between the . Others 1 0.29
ages of 18-65 years old. Over half (54.22%) of males and Marital Status
under half (45.78%) of females were in the 18-30 age . Married 110. 31.61
group. Most participants had an Undergraduate
. Unmarried 238. 68.39
education (55.46%), followed by Graduate (28.45%) and
post-graduate (16.09%). Most occupational groups were
Table 2: Proportion of level of physical activity in Respondents
Undergraduate students (46.55%), followed by Interns
(8.62%), PG Students (14.94%), Faculty (14.94%), and Physical activity level Frequency (N) Percentage (%)
Nursing staff (14.94%). In terms of religion, the vast Insufficient physical
30 8.62
majority were Hindu (89.37%), with smaller activity
representations of other faiths. Most participants were Moderate physical
286 82.18
activity
unmarried (68.39%) compared to married (31.61%).
Vigorous physical
32 9.2
activity
Total 348 100

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 SSR Institute of International Journal of Life Sciences
ISSN (O): 2581-8740 | ISSN (P): 2581-8732
Sharma et al., 2024
DOI: 10.21276/SSR-IIJLS.2024.10.1.29

The results showed that most respondents had insufficient physical activity (8.62%), denoting little to no
moderate physical activity (82.18%). A moderate level activity. Over 90% of participants engaged in at least a
indicates that they engage in some activity on most days moderate level of exercise during most weeks. While
of the week. Only a small proportion reported vigorous most were physically active to some degree, just under
physical activity (9.2%), characterized as participating in 10% can be considered insufficiently active according to
intensive activity regularly. Fewer respondents had the presented categories.

Table 3: Association between Anthropometric Measurements and Level of Physical Activity

BMI Level of Physical activity
Category Insufficiently Moderate Highly p-value
<0.0001*
Normal 0 (0 %) 188 (86.24 %) 30 (13.76 %)

High risk 30 (23.08 %) 98 (75.38 %) 2 (1.54 %)

Waist Circumference
<0.0001*
Normal 14 (4.76 %) 248 (84.35 %) 32 (10.88 %)

High risk 16 (29.63 %) 38 (70.37 %) 0 (0 %)

Waist Hip Ratio

0.0017*
Normal 9 (5.11 %) 143 (81.25 %) 24 (13.64 %)

High risk 21 (12.21 %) 143 (83.14 %) 8 (4.65 %)

Neck circumference
<0.0001*
Normal 9 (4.33 %) 171 (82.21 %) 28 (13.46 %)

High risk 21 (15 %) 115 (82.14 %) 4 (2.86 %)

* Statistically Significant
13.64% of people with normal waist-hip ratios (<0.9 for
The results showed significant associations between males and <0.85 for women) had high activity levels.
various anthropometric measurements and level of Comparing those with high-risk neck circumference (>37
physical activity. For BMI, 13.76% of individuals with cm for males and >34 cm for women) to those with
normal BMI (between 18.5-24.9 kg/m2) were highly normal neck circumference (<37 cm for men and <34 cm
active compared to only 1.54% of those with high BMI for women), it was found that 13.46% of the former had
(>30 kg/m2) who were mostly moderately active high activity levels. Higher levels of physical activity
(75.38%) or insufficiently active (23.08%). Similarly, related to normal anthropometric measurements, but
10.88% of individuals with normal waist circumference lower levels of activity were correlated with aberrant
(<90 cm for men and <80 cm for women) engaged in values.
highly active physical activity compared to 0% of those
with high-risk waist circumference (>90 cm for men and DISCUSSION
>80 cm for women) who predominantly had moderate This study found that 8.62% of respondents had
(70.37%) or insufficient (29.63%) activity levels. insufficient physical activity, which is lower than previous
Moreover, compared to just 4.65% of people with high- global estimates. A 2016 study analysing data from over
risk waist-hip ratios (>0.9 for men and >0.85 for women), 1.9 million individuals in 168 countries [15] reported %

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 SSR Institute of International Journal of Life Sciences
ISSN (O): 2581-8740 | ISSN (P): 2581-8732
Sharma et al., 2024
DOI: 10.21276/SSR-IIJLS.2024.10.1.29

worldwide prevalence of insufficient physical activity to physical activity during the workday, such as standing
be 27.5%. However, the current study surveyed a much desks, walking meetings, and fitness breaks. Facilities for
smaller sample size of 348 predominantly younger physical activity like on-site gyms, jogging, or walking
individuals educated undergraduate students from one paths can be provided.
geographical region. Younger age is correlated with
CONTRIBUTION OF AUTHORS
higher activity levels, while national surveys include
Research concept & design– Prashant Verma, Aditya
much older populations who are generally less active.
The results of the current study differ from another Thakur, Arun Sharma
Supervision- Prashant Verma, Aditya Thakur, Rajesh
previous study in India that assessed physical activity
Tiwari, Jagmohan Singh Dhakar
levels in 14,227 individuals. [16] That study found a higher
proportion (54.4%) were inactive compared to only Data collection– Arun Sharma
Data analysis and Interpretation– Arun Sharma,
8.62% inactive in the current study. Additionally, they
Aryashree
reported a lower percentage of engaging in highly active
physical activity (13.7% vs 9.2% in the present study). Writing article– Aryashree, Aditya Thakur
Critical review- Prashant Verma, Aditya Thakur,
55.16% of the respondents in the present study had
Jagmohan Singh Dhakar
high-risk body mass index, i.e., overweight, and obese.
The percentage of high-risk body mass index was Article editing- Aditya Thakur
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ISSN (O): 2581-8740 | ISSN (P): 2581-8732
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DOI: 10.21276/SSR-IIJLS.2024.10.1.29

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