Is self-rated physical activity a good indicator of physical capacity and is time spent sitting negative for physical capacity?

• Purpose: The aim of this study was to relate levels of physical activity to physical capacity and to study whether time sitting influences physical capacity among students in upper secondary school.Relevance: Physical activity and physical fitness are important health related parameters. Modern living habits with increased time spent on sedentary behaviors like watching TV and computer gaming have a potential for a negative influence. This calls for reliable and cost-effective measures of physical activities as indicators of physical capacity as tools for identifying people with an inactive lifestyle.Participants: Research participants where 99 third grade students (38 female, 61 male) from upper secondary school in Sweden (18-20 years).Methods: Levels of physical activity was established using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and determined for both 1) Level of activity (Total, Vigorous, Moderate, Walking), 2) IPAQ-classification Amount of activity (High, Medium, Low) and 3) Time sitting. Physical fitness was measured using the Åstrand bicycle test and functional tests of muscular strength.Analysis: The relation between 1) Level of activity, 2) IPAQ- amount of activity and 3) Time sitting and physical capacity was investigated by separate linear regression analyses.Results: There were a relation between Total level of activity and A) aerobic capacity (l/min2) (R2 = 0.1, p = 0.001), B) push-ups (R2 = 0.05, p = 0.011), and C) sit-ups (R2 = 0.046, p = 0.016), while other measure of physical capacity was non significant. An identical pattern was reveled for activity performed on Vigorous level with A) aerobic capacity (l/min2) (R2 = 0.2, p < 0.000), B) push-ups (R2 = 0.16, p < 0.000) and C) sit-ups (R2 = 0.082, p = 0.023). For activity on Moderate level the only significant relation was with aerobic capacity (R2 = 0.033, p = 0.033). For Walking no relation was significant. Regarding the IPAQ-classification of High-, Medium, and Low physical activity, no relation with any measures of physical capacity was found. Further, surprisingly, no relation was found between Time sitting and any measures of physical capacity.Conclusions: The results imply that the intensity of physical activity is of importance for achieving high aerobic capacity, while the amount of activity is not. Further, our results indicate that time sitting is not related to physical capacity.Implications: The self-rated questionnaire IPAQ can be questioned for use as a direct indicator of health parameters as physical capacity. Further, it seems that the intensity of activity is of importance for physical performance.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Sjukgymnastik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Physiotherapy (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Physiotherapy

Fysioterapi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)