Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of
mortality in the world and
physical inactivity represents an important
risk factor .
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the
prevalence of
physical inactivity in the
adult population and its effects on
blood pressure ,
blood glucose and
lipid profile.
Methods: A
population -based
cross-sectional study with stratified
simple random sampling was conducted in 1,717
adults divided by
age groups 18-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and ≥ 70 years. The participants answered the
physical activity questionnaire and were classified as physically active or inactive. The bootstrap statistical
method was used to assess
physical activity , associated with
lipid profile and
blood glucose levels. The level of significance was 5%.
Results: The
prevalence of
physical inactivity in the general
population was 65.8%. There was a significant difference in the group older than 70 years. There was a significant decrease in
physical activity in the group with lower
educational level , with a significant difference between
social classes AB and C. The
prevalence of
hypertension was 27.5% among physically inactive and 21.4% among active individuals (p = 0.04). The
prevalence of
metabolic syndrome was 26.1% in inactive and 16.7% in the active individuals (p = 0.007). Total
cholesterol ,
low-density lipoprotein and
triglycerides levels were more elevated in the physically inactive group, which was not observed with
high-density lipoprotein levels.
Blood glucose was also higher in the inactive group.
Conclusion: This study shows a high
prevalence of
physical inactivity and a positive correlation between
risk factors for cardiovascular disease , mainly
blood pressure ,
glucose and
lipids profiles