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We investigated the association between socioeconomic status and adherence to health check-ups in a Korean population aged 40 years or older.
This cross-sectional study included 12,311 participants who participated in the 2010–2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess each participant's socioeconomic status (household income, occupation, and education) and adherence to health check-ups.
Men with a higher income (highest vs. lowest: odds ratio [OR], 1.799; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.296–2.497) and men with a higher education level (≥12 vs. <6 years: OR, 1.488; 95% CI, 1.078–2.054) and office workers compared with manual workers (men: OR, 1.431; 95% CI, 1.077–1.902; women: OR, 1.783; 95% CI, 1.256–2.532) appeared to undergo more health check-ups. In particular, men and women with a higher income and education appeared more likely to undergo opportunistic health check-ups (men: highest vs. lowest income: OR, 2.380; 95% CI, 1.218–4.653; ≥12 vs. <6 years education: OR, 2.121; 95% CI, 1.142–3.936; women: highest vs. lowest income: OR, 4.042; 95% CI, 2.239–7.297; ≥12 vs. <6 years education: OR, 2.475; 95% CI, 1.283–4.775).
A higher socioeconomic status was associated with a higher rate of participation in health check-ups. More efforts are needed to identify the factors associated with disparity in adherence to health check-ups.
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New research into physical activity suggests that it is no longer sufficient just to meet minimum levels recommended by health guidelines in order to reduce cardiovascular risk. Both physical inactivity and sedentary behavior have their own health hazards and need to be addressed separately, in order to explore their different deleterious mechanisms. The aim of this review was to define and to characterize both concepts, and their relationship with major non-communicable chronic diseases. A PubMed database search was undertaken, using the following key words: physical activity, physical inactivity, sedentarism, sedentary behavior, and non-communicable chronic disease. This literature review provides an updated view on physical inactivity and sedentary behavior, and reevaluates their prevalence and association with major non-communicable chronic disease.
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Low Elevation and Physical Inactivity are Associated with a Higher Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Ecuadorian Adults: A National Cross-Sectional Study
Associations of Physical Activity and Sedentary Time with Metabolic Syndrome in Saudi Adult Males
Given that a substantial number of daily activities take place in neighborhoods, a convenient and effective method for measuring the physical activity of individuals is needed. Therefore, we tested the validity and reliability of the Korean version of the Neighborhood Physical Activity Questionnaire (K-NPAQ), which was developed through translation and back-translation of the NPAQ.
The K-NPAQ was administered twice, with a 1-week interval, to participants in the study who were recruited at a health promotion center. We assessed energy expenditure and compliance using an accelerometer and an activity diary. The Kappa statistic and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the K-NPAQ, and the Spearman rank correlation was used to assess the validity.
Of the 122 participants, 43 were excluded owing to a lack of compliance. The Kappa values for all items that were used to assess walking or cycling within or outside the neighborhood were >0.424; 0.251-0.902 for 5 items related to the purpose of the physical activity; 0.232-0.912 for most items related to the number of times and the duration for each types of physical activity. The total energy expenditure and the energy expenditure in the neighborhood were significantly correlated with the K-NPAQ and the accelerometer, with correlation coefficients of 0.192-0.264.
The K-NPAQ is a valid and reliable tool for measuring physical activity in the neighborhood, and it can be used for individual education and counseling in order to augment physical activity in specific neighborhood environments.
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Recent studies suggest that neighborhood environments influence levels of health and disease in individuals. Evidence suggests that green environments have positive effects on physical and psychological health. In this study, we examined the association between public park per person (PPP) and physical activity in 7 large Korean cities with a population of over 1 million.
We obtained data from the third Korea National Health and Nutritional Survey and data on the area of PPP from the Korean national statistics office.
Physical activity and adjusted mean of physical activity increased significantly with PPP. When stratified by family income, physical activity increased significantly in all groups in a PPP-dependent manner. Physical activity significantly increased as PPP increased (coefficient, 16.025; 95% confidence interval, 12.392 to 19.658) before and after adjustment for age, sex, and family income. Physical activity increased in all income groups including the low income group.
These results show that green park spaces independently promote physical activity and influence healthy lifestyles. Therefore, the importance of PPP for physical activity and health should be emphasized in urban planning.
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