Global Matrix of Para Report Cards on Physical Activity of Children and Adolescents With Disabilities.

This is an overview of the results from 14 countries or jurisdictions in a Global Matrix of Para Report Cards on physical activity (PA) of children and adolescents with disabilities. The methodology was based on the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance's Global Matrix 4.0. Data were aligned with 10 indicators (Overall PA, Organized Sport, Active Play, Active Transport, Physical Fitness, Sedentary Behavior, Family & Peers, Schools, Community & Environment, and Government) to produce Para Report Cards. Subsequently, there were 139 grades; 45% were incomplete, particularly for Active Play, Physical Fitness, and Family & Peers. Collectively, Overall PA was graded the lowest (F), with Schools and Government the highest (C). Disability-specific surveillance and research gaps in PA were apparent in 14 countries or jurisdictions around the world. More coverage of PA data in Para Report Cards is needed to serve as an advocacy tool to promote PA among children and adolescents with disabilities.

[Benefits of green spaces and physical activity for the well-being and health of people]. / Beneficios de los espacios verdes y actividad física en el bienestar y salud de las personas.

BACKGROUND: Physical environment can influence well-being, quality of life and health and population health in several ways. Exposure to green spaces improves the physical and mental health of individuals. Chile has privileged conditions for outdoor activities that could benefit millions of people. However, a small percentage of the Chilean population is exposed to green spaces in the recommended amounts to promote health. AIM: To describe the benefits of green spaces on physical and mental health and their relationship with the practice of physical activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of the scientific literature in English in the Web of Science (WoS) electronic database published between 2006-2019. RESULTS: In addition to the direct benefits of green spaces, there are synergistic effects of performing physical activities in these environments such as feelings of good health, satisfaction with life and pleasure, increased physiological relaxation, positive emotions, mental well-being, restoration of attention, decreased perceived stress and a reduction negative affections. CONCLUSIONS: This review supports strategies for improving access to green spaces in urban areas coupled with physical activity promotion in these settings. Health and urban planning stakeholders should consider these aspects in future programs.

Cultural adaptation, translation and validation of the Spanish version of Past-day Adults' Sedentary Time.

BACKGROUND: To better understand sedentary behaviour and favour international comparisons, more evidence from different countries are needed. However, there are a few tools available in Spanish to measure sedentary behaviour. This study aimed to culturally adapt, translate and validate the Past-day Adults' Sedentary Time (PAST) questionnaire in Chilean adults compared with the ActivPAL. METHOD: One hundred one workers wore an ActivPAL for 1 week and were asked to respond to the Spanish version of the PAST twice on different visits at a 7-day interval. The PAST assesses sedentary behaviour in several domains, including working time, during the previous day. Reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Correlations and Bland-Altman methods were used to determine accuracy properties of the PAST compared with the ActivPAL. RESULTS: Seventy-seven participants provided valid data (51.0% male; age = 39.0 ± 12.39 years). The PAST showed moderate reliability (ICC = 0.63). For the total time in sedentary behavior per day, the PAST showed no correlation (r = 0.21, p = 0.07) and a mean bias of 54.9 min/day (LoA 95%: - 484.3, 594.2 min/day) with the ActivPAL. For the total time in SB at work, the PAST showed moderate reliability (ICC = 0.40), weak correlation (r = 0.37, p < 0.002), and mean bias was 33.8 min/day (LoA 95%: - 285.7, 353.3 min/day). CONCLUSIONS: The PAST performed better when estimating sedentary behaviour during working hours compared with the whole day. In this setting, accuracy properties were comparable with other self-report tools.

Implementation of physical education policies in elementary and middle schools in Mexico.

School-based physical education (PE) is part of a whole-of-school approach to promote physical activity and its benefits for health. However, there are important gaps between the design and implementation of PE policies. This study aimed to describe the implementation fidelity and feasibility of school-based PE policies in Mexico. Data on implementation fidelity and feasibility was collected using semi-structured interviews (n = 17) and focus groups (n = 11) with high- (n = 7) and local-level (n = 122) stakeholders. We conducted a qualitative and triangulation content analysis. Feedback sessions were carried out with some participants. Barriers for implementation fidelity and feasibility of PE policies included inconsistencies in the time allocated to PE across schools and regions in the country; inconsistencies between teachers' planning of PE classes and the actual class; a wide diversity of professional profiles among PE teachers; a limited number of PE professors, materials and facilities. To address these situations, some PE teachers were able to modify lesson plans and to design PE materials made from recycled materials. In conclusion, the current way in which school-based PE policies are being implemented in Mexico hinder PE from playing a major role in promoting physical activity among children and adolescents.

Comparing ActiGraph equations for estimating energy expenditure in older adults.

Accurate estimation of energy expenditure (EE) from accelerometer outputs remains a challenge in older adults. The aim of this study was to validate different ActiGraph (AG) equations for predicting EE in older adults. Forty older adults (age = 77.4 ± 8.1 yrs) completed a set of household/gardening activities in their residence, while wearing an AG at the hip (GT3X+) and a portable calorimeter (MetaMax 3B - criterion). Predicted EEs from AG were calculated using five equations (Freedson, refined Crouter, Sasaki and Santos-Lozano (vertical-axis, vectormagnitude)). Accuracy of equations was assessed using root-mean-square error (RMSE) and mean bias. The Sasaki equation showed the lowest RMSE for all activities (0.47 METs) and across physical activity intensities (PAIs) (range 0.18-0.48 METs). The Freedson and Santos-Lozano equations tended to overestimate EE for sedentary activities (range: 0.48 to 0.97 METs), while EEs for moderate-to-vigorous activities (MVPA) were underestimated (range: -1.02 to -0.64 METs). The refined Crouter and Sasaki equations showed no systematic bias, but they respectively overestimated and underestimated EE across PAIs. In conclusion, none of the equations was completely accurate for predicting EE across the range of PAIs. However, the refined Crouter and Sasaki equations showed better overall accuracy and precision when compared with the other methods.

Validity of objective methods for measuring sedentary behaviour in older adults: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The evidence showing the ill health effects of prolonged sedentary behaviour (SB) is growing. Most studies of SB in older adults have relied on self-report measures of SB. However, SB is difficult for older adults to recall and objective measures that combine accelerometry with inclinometry are now available for more accurately assessing SB. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the validity and reliability of these accelerometers for the assessment of SB in older adults. METHODS: EMBASE, PubMed and EBSCOhost databases were searched for articles published up to December 13, 2017. Articles were eligible if they: a) described reliability, calibration or validation studies of SB measurement in healthy, community-dwelling individuals, b) were published in English, Portuguese or Spanish, and c) were published or in press as journal articles in peer-reviewed journals. RESULTS: The review identified 15 studies in 17 papers. Of the included studies, 11 assessed the ActiGraph accelerometer. Of these, three examined reliability only, seven (in eight papers) examined validity only and one (in two papers) examined both. The strongest evidence from the studies reviewed is from studies that assessed the validity of the ActiGraph. These studies indicate that analysis of the data using 60-s epochs and a vertical magnitude cut-point < 200 cpm or using 30- or 60-s epochs with a machine learning algorithm provides the most valid estimates of SB. Non-wear algorithms of 90+ consecutive zeros is also suggested for the ActiGraph. CONCLUSIONS: Few studies have examined the reliability and validity of accelerometers for measuring SB in older adults. Studies to date suggest that the criteria researchers use for classifying an epoch as sedentary instead of as non-wear time (e.g., the non-wear algorithm used) may need to be different for older adults than for younger adults. The required number of hours and days of wear for valid estimates of SB in older adults was not clear from studies to date. More older-adult-specific validation studies of accelerometers are needed, to inform future guidelines on the appropriate criteria to use for analysis of data from different accelerometer brands. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO ID# CRD42017080754 registered December 12, 2017.

Beneficial association between active travel and metabolic syndrome in Latin-America: A cross-sectional analysis from the Chilean National Health Survey 2009-2010.

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence on potential health benefits of active travel, independently of leisure-time physical activity (PA), with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Latin-America. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between active travel and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in a national representative sample of Chilean adults. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 2864 randomly selected adults' participants enrolled in the 2009-2010 Chilean National Health Survey (CNHS). Self-reported PA was obtained with the validated Global PA Questionnaire and classifying participants into insufficiently active (<150min/week) or active (≥150min/week). MetS was diagnosed from the modified Adult Treatment Panel (ATP) III criteria with national-specific abdominal obesity cut points. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate associations of travel PA with MetS and its components at a regional level, adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics and other types of PA. RESULTS: 46.2% of the sample engaged in 150min/week of active travel and the prevalence of MetS was 33.7%. Mets was significantly lower among active travel participants. Active travel was associated with lower odds of MetS (OR 0.72; 95%CI 0.61-0.86), triglycerides (OR 0.77; 95%CI 0.64-0.92) and abdominal obesity (OR 0.82; 95%CI 0.69-0.97) after controlling for socio-demographics and other types of PA. CONCLUSION: Active travel was negatively associated with MetS, triglycerides and abdominal obesity. Efforts to increase regional active travel should be addressed as a measure to prevent and reduce the prevalence of MetS and disease burden in middle income countries.

Correction to: Talking the Walk: Perceptions of Neighborhood Characteristics from Users of Open Streets Programs in Latin America and the USA.

There were two errors in this article as originally published: Coauthor Olga L. Sarmiento was listed with an affiliation-Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute-that does not apply to her (only "Universidad de los Andes Bogota, Colombia" is a correct affiliation for her).

Talking the Walk: Perceptions of Neighborhood Characteristics from Users of Open Streets Programs in Latin America and the USA.

Physical inactivity is estimated to be the fourth leading cause of global mortality. Strategies to increase physical activity (PA) increasingly emphasize environmental and policy changes including the modification of neighborhood environments to promote walking and other forms of healthy activity. Open Streets (OS) initiatives, an important and growing strategy to modify neighborhood environments for PA, create temporary parks for recreational activity by closing streets to motor vehicle traffic, thereby offering health and community building benefits. We used the Stanford Neighborhood Discovery Tool (DT)-photo/voice software on a tablet-to train neighborhood residents to act as "citizen scientist" observers of the local built environment on a non-event day and during an OS initiative. The purposes of this project were as follows: (1) to assess adult residents' perceptions of neighborhood characteristics of the OS initiative in three socioeconomically diverse sites and (2) to test the DT for use in three international urban settings with OS initiatives; Bogota, Colombia; San Francisco, USA; and Temuco, Chile, among a multigenerational, multiethnic sample of adults including, for the first time, a vulnerable population of homeless adults (Bogota). Using the DT, participants walked an OS route taking photos and recording reasons for the photos, then completed a 25-item demographic/environmental observation survey and a 16-item Reflection Survey on perceived environmental changes. A total of 18 themes were reported by participants with areas of overlapping themes (e.g., Community and Social Connectedness) and areas where a single site reported a theme (e.g., Social Isolation in Older Adults). Ten of the 18 themes were identified by at least two sites including "Bike Resources" and "Services", indicating the value of programming at OS initiatives. The themes of "Festive Environment" and "Family Friendly Environment" reflect the quality of the overall environment for participants. Four themes (Community and Social Connectedness, Family Friendly Environment, PA, and Safety) were reported by all sites. Three of the four unifying themes were also ranked among the highest reported categories of "seemed better" on the Reflection Survey (Ease of Walking, Overall Safety of Neighborhood, and Friendliness of Environment), providing additional confirmation of the shared experience of social, health, and psychological benefits from OS initiatives. OS initiatives offer a global strategy for increasing neighborhood opportunities for PA and a potential site for training citizen scientists to document environmental influences on PA.

Joint effect of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on cardiovascular risk factors in Chilean adults.

Background: To investigate the associations between combined categories of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) with markers of adiposity and cardiovascular risk in adults. Methods: Overall, 5040 participants (mean age 46.4 years and 59.3% women) from the cross-sectional Chilean National Health Survey 2009-2010 were included in this study. MVPA and SB were measured using the Global Physical Activity questionnaire. Four categories were computed using MVPA- and SB-specific cut-offs ('High-SB & Active', 'Low-SB & Active', 'High-SB & Inactive' and 'Low-SB & Inactive'). Results: Compared to the reference group ('High-SB & Inactive'), those in 'High-SB & Active' and 'Low-SB & Active' were less likely to have an obese BMI (OR: 0.67 [0.54; 0.85], P = 0.0001 and 0.74 [0.59; 0.92] P = 0.0007, respectively) and less likely to have metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.63 [0.49; 0.82], P < 0.0001 and 0.72 [0.57; 0.91], P = 0.007), central obesity (OR: 0.79 [0.65; 0.96], P = 0.016 and 0.71 [0.59; 0.84], P < 0.0001), diabetes (OR: 0.45 [0.35; 0.59], P < 0.0001 and 0.44 [0.34; 0.56], P < 0.0001) and hypertension (OR: 0.52 [0.43; 0.63], P < 0.0001 and 0.60 [0.50; 0.72], P < 0.0001), respectively. Conclusions: Being physically active and spending less time in SBs was associated with lower adiposity and improvements in cardiovascular risk factors.

Active commuting is associated with a lower risk of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome in Chilean adults.

Background: There is limited evidence on how active commuting is associated with health benefits in developing countries. The aim of this study therefore was to investigate the associations between active commuting and markers of adiposity and cardiometabolic risk in the Chilean adult population. Methods: In total, 5157 participants from the Chilean National Health Survey 2009-10 were included in this cross-sectional study. Active commuting was measured using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ v2). Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were measured and used to define obesity and central obesity. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic syndrome were determined using WHO and updated ATPIII-NCEP criteria, respectively. Results: The main finding of this study is that a 30 min increase in active commuting is associated with lower odds for BMI > 25.0 kg m-2 (0.93 [95% CI: 0.88-0.98, P = 0.010]). Similarly, the odds for central obesity was 0.87 [0.82-0.92, P < 0.0001]. Similar associations were found for T2D (0.81 [0.75-0.88], P < 0.0001) and metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.86 [0.80-0.92], P < 0.0001). Conclusion: Our findings show that active commuting is associated with lower adiposity and a healthier metabolic profile including lower risk for obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

[High prevalence of dyslipidemia and high atherogenic index of plasma in children and adolescents]. / Alta prevalencia de dislipidemias y riesgo aterogénico en una población infanto-juvenil.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemias in childhood increase the risk of cardiovascular events in adult life. AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of dyslipidemia and risk of atherogenicity based in the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) in a sample of school children and adolescents. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 208 children aged 10.4 ± 1.0 years (107 women). Demographic data were obtained, and a clinical evaluation was conducted, including pubertal development according to Tanner and anthropometric parameters. A fasting blood sample was obtained to measure total cholesterol (CT), HDL cholesterol (cHDL) and triglycerides (TG), glucose and insulin. LDL cholesterol (cLDL), Non-HDL cholesterol and the indices CT/cHDL, cLDL/cHDL and AIP (log[TG/cHDL]) were calculated. Risk categories according to AIP for the pediatric population were also determined (low: AIP < 0.11, intermediate: AIP 0.11-0.21, high: AIP > 0.21). RESULTS: Thirty eight percent of participants had dyslipidemia, without differences by gender and pubertal development. The frequency of dyslipidemia was significantly higher in children with obesity (54%, p < 0.01) and a waist circumference over percentile 90 (61%; p < 0.01). The later conditions had also higher CT/cHDL, cLDL/cHDL and AIP. According to AIP, 54% of children had a high atherogenicity risk along with alterations in anthropometric parameters and insulin resistance. All anthropometric and insulin resistance parameters were significantly correlated with the AIP. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high prevalence of dyslipidemia in the studied population, which is associated with an increased cardiometabolic risk. The indices of atherogenicity and particularly AIP are correlated with nutritional status, abdominal obesity and parameters of insulin resistance.

[High prevalence of overweight, obesity, insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in rural children and adolescents]. / Alta prevalencia de trastornos nutricionales por exceso, resistencia insulínica y síndrome metabólico en escolares de la comuna de Carahue, Región de la Araucanía.

BACKGROUND: Childhood and adolescent obesity is a major public health problem in Chile. AIM: To characterize cardiometabolic risk factors in a population of schoolchildren from Carahue, Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional assessment of 208 children aged 10.4 ± 1.0 years (106 women). A clinical evaluation was carried out including pubertal development according to Tanner and anthropometric parameters. A fasting blood sample was obtained to measure glucose, insulin and lipid profile. HOMA-IR and Quicki indices were calculated. Insulin resistance (IR) was established according to Burrows criteria and Barja criteria, previously proposed for the Chilean pediatric population. The metabolic syndrome (MetS) was established using the modified Cook criteria. RESULTS: Thirty eight percent of children had overweight and 33.1% obesity. MetS was only observed in obese subjects and the frequency in this subgroup was 38%. The prevalence of IR was 51% according to the Burrows criteria and 19% according to Barja criteria. It was more common in participants who were overweight, obese or had abdominal obesity. Children with insulin resistance according to Barja criteria, had worse anthropometric measures than their counterparts without resistance. When Burrows criteria was used, no differences in anthropometric measures were observed between participants with or without resistance. The frequency of MetS was 26 and 18% in children with insulin resistance according to Barja and Burrows criteria, respectively. Insulin levels and insulin sensitivity indexes were positively correlated with anthropometric parameters. CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of overweight, obesity and MetS in these participants. Our results suggest that the IR criteria according to Barja allows to identify cases with higher metabolic risk.

Is a single question of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) valid for measuring sedentary behaviour in the Chilean population?

A study was conducted to assess the validity of the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) for measuring sedentary behaviour (SB) in the Chilean adult population. About 217 adults (93/124 male/female, 43.8 ± 15.75 years) who were randomly selected during National Health Survey 2009-2010 completed the protocol. The participants wore an ActiGraph GT3X (AG) for 7 consecutive days and then completed the GPAQ (single-item question for measuring time spent sitting in a usual day). Validity was examined using Spearman's correlation, mean bias and limits of agreement (LoA), with AG (vertical axis <100 counts · min-1) as the reference standard for estimates of SB in bouts of 1 (AG1), 5 (AG5) and 10 (AG10) min. Agreement between the GPAQ and AG for classifying data into quartiles and tertiles was assessed with kappa method. The GPAQ showed fair correlation with AG1, AG5 and AG10 (range = 0.23-0.26), with large mean biases (range = -293.9, -76.12 min · day-1). Agreement between the GPAQ and AG1, AG5 and AG10 was poor for categorising time spent in SB into tertiles and quartiles. The single question from the GPAQ has shown fair validity for measuring SB and poor ability for correctly classifying individuals into tertiles or quartiles of SB in a Chilean population.

[Sedentary lifestyle is associated with metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors independent of physical activity]. / El sedentarismo se asocia a un incremento de factores de riesgo cardiovascular y metabólicos independiente de los niveles de actividad física.

BACKGROUND: Sedentary behavior is a main risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. AIM: To investigate the association between sedentary behavior and metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We assessed 322 participants aged between 18 to 65 years. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were measured with accelerometers (Actigraph®). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, percentage of body fat, diet and blood markers (glucose, lipid profile, insulin and HOMA-IR) were measured with standardized protocols. RESULTS: Thirty four percent of participants were physically inactive and spent on average 8.7 h/day on sedentary activities. Per one hour increase in sedentary behavior there were significant adverse changes in glucose (4.79 mg/dl), insulin (2.73 pmol/l), HOMA-IR (0.75), BMI (0.69 kg/m²), waist circumference (1.95 cm), fat mass (1.03%), total cholesterol (9.73 mg/dl), HDL-cholesterol (-3.50 mg/dl), LDL-cholesterol (10.7 mg/dl) and triglycerides (12.4 mg/dl). These findings were independent of main confounding factors including total physical activity, dietary factors, BMI and socio-demographics. CONCLUSIONS: The detrimental effect of sedentary behaviors on cardiometabolic and obesity-related traits is independent of physical activity levels. Therefore, reducing sedentary time should be targeted in the population apart from increasing their physical activity levels.

[Association of active commuting with obesity: findings from the Chilean National Health Survey 2009-2010]. / Mayores niveles de transporte activo se asocian a un menor nivel de adiposidad y menor riesgo de obesidad: resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud 2009-2010.

BACKGROUND: Active commuting is associated with a lower risk for obesity in developed countries. AIM: To investigate the association between active commuting and obesity risk in Chile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Active commuting was measured using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ v2) in 5,293 participants from the Chilean National Health Survey 2009-2010. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were the study outcomes. The association between active commuting and obesity was investigated using linear and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Thirty four percent of responders [95% confidence intervals (CI): 32.6-35.1] were passive commuters. Active commuters had a lower BMI and WC than their passive counterparts. Thirty minutes increment in active commuting were associated with a -0.20 kg.m-2 lower BMI [95% CI: -0.33 to -0.07, p < 0.01] and a -076 cm lower WC [95% CI: -1.08 to -0.43, p < 0.01]. The odds of having a BMI > 25 kg.m-2 was 0.93 [95% CI: 0.88 to 0.98, p = 0.01] per every 30 minutes' increment in active commuting, whereas the odds for central obesity was 0.87 [95% CI: 0.82 to 0.92, p < 0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: Active commuting is associated with a lower adiposity and lower risk for obesity in Chilean adults.

[Being physically active modifies the detrimental effect of sedentary behavior on obesity and cardiometabolic markers in adults]. / Ser físicamente activo modifica los efectos nocivos del sedentarismo sobre marcadores de obesidad y cardiometabólicos en adultos.

BACKGROUND: Sedentary behavior is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. AIM: To investigate whether the associations between sedentary behavior and cardiometabolic markers differs across physical activity levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross sectional study of 314 participants aged 18 to 65 years. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were measured, and body fat was derived from the sum of four skinfolds. Physical activity was measured objectively using accelerometers (Actigraph GT1M, USA®). A fasting blood sample was obtained to measure glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, lipid profile and high sensitive C reactive protein (hsCRP). Those participants with an activity level > 600 MET.min-1.week-1 were classified as physically active. RESULTS: Thirty four percent of participants were physically inactive and spent an average of 8.7 h.day-1 in sedentary pursuits. Physically inactive individuals had poorer cardiometabolic health than their physically active counterparts. Per one hour decrease in overall sedentary behavior, there was a significant improvement in glucose (-8.46 and -4.68 mg.dl-1), insulin (-2.12 and -1.77 pmol.l-1), HOMA-IR (-0.81 and -0.56) BMI (-0.93 and -0.62 kg.m-2) and waist circumference (-2.32 and -1.65 cm) in physically active and inactive participants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Being physically active may modify the detrimental effects of sedentary behavior on cardiometabolic and obesity-related traits.

[Inverse association of cardiorespiratory fitness with cardiovascular risk factors in Chilean adults]. / Fitness cardiorrespiratorio se asocia a una mejora en marcadores metabólicos en adultos chilenos.

BACKGROUND: A high level of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is an important protector against cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. AIM: To explore the association of CRF with several metabolic markers and estimate the variation of these parameters by an increase of 1 MET change in CRF. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study of 447 adults (56% women) without medical history of cardiometabolic diseases. Physical activity evaluated using accelerometry, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood glucose and insulin and lipid profile were measured. HOMA-IR was calculated with fasting glucose and insulin levels. The submaximal Chester Step Test was used to measure CRF. RESULTS: CRF was significantly associated with the level and intensity of physical activity, and all metabolic markers (p-trend < 0.05), except with diastolic blood pressure. It was estimated that 1-MET increase in CRF is associated with waist circumference (ß -0.32 cm), fat mass (ß -0.22%), insulin (ß -0.67 pmol.l-1), HOMA-IR (ß -0.17) and HDL cholesterol (ß +1.46 mg.dl-1). All these associations were independent of main covariates such as age, sex, education, smoking and body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: A higher level of CRF is inversely associated with several metabolic markers that are risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

[Higher physical activity levels are associated with lower prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Chile]. / Un mayor nivel de actividad física se asocia a una menor prevalencia de factores de riesgo cardiovascular en Chile: resultados de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud 2009-2010.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relationship between physical activity (PA) and cardiovascular risk factors in the Chilean population. AIM: To investigate the association between different levels and intensities of PA and the prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in Chilean adults. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data from the National Health Survey 2009-10 including 5157 participants, provided by the Epidemiology Department of the Ministry of Health, was analyzed in this study. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, metabolic syndrome and dyslipidemia were determined using international criteria. PA levels were determined using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ v2) and different levels of PA were derived from it (transport-related, moderate and vigorous PA). Quartiles of PA were determined to investigate the association between PA and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Twenty three percent of women and 17.1% of men did not meet the PA recommendation (≥ 600 METs.min.week-1). When prevalence of CV risk factors were compared between inactive individuals (< 600 METs.min.week-1) and active individuals (≥ 9500 METs.min.week-1) a significantly lower prevalence of diabetes mellitus (6.2% and 10%), hypertension (18.0% and 12.4%) and metabolic syndrome (8.9% and 12.1%) for women and men, respectively, was found in the active participants. Similar results were found for high versus low transport-related PA. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing levels of PA are associated with a significantly lower frequency of cardiovascular risk factors in Chilean adults.