The Physical Activity Level is Low in Young Adults: A Pilot Study from Turkey

Nilüfer Acar Tek^1, , Hande Mortaş¹, Sabriye Arslan¹, Tuğba Tatar¹ and Süleyman Köse¹

¹Gazi University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Ankara, Turkey

Cite this paper:
Nilüfer Acar Tek, Hande Mortaş, Sabriye Arslan, Tuğba Tatar and Süleyman Köse. The Physical Activity Level is Low in Young Adults: A Pilot Study from Turkey. American Journal of Public Health Research. 2020; 8(1):7-13. doi: 10.12691/ajphr-8-1-2

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the physical activity levels of young adults using the pedometer (pedometer step count-PSC), International Physical Activity-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and physical activity diary (PAD) methods, and to compare these methods with one another. Methods: This study was conducted in 551 individuals aged between 18 and 30 years. A questionnaire that includes socio-demographic characteristics, physical activity habits, and anthropometric measurements of the individuals was administrated. Three instruments were used: PSC, PAD, and IPAQ-SF. Results: The three different physical activity evaluation instruments were shown positive correlation (p < 0.01). According to BMI, 13.2% of individuals were underweight; 12.9% were overweight; and 73.9% had healthy weight. There was no significant difference in physical activity level between BMI groups (underweight, normal weight and overweight) according to all evaluation methods. The majority of the individuals were active according to PSC (50.1%) and IPAQ-SF (59.7%). However, 61.2% of the individuals were sedentary according to the PAD. In addition, 48.5% of the individuals met the target of 10000 steps/d and 38.9% of them met the target of being active (PAL ≥1.7) while 13.4% of them met the target of 30 min/d moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity. Conclusions: The percentage of individuals met daily physical activity goal is low in young adults according to the different evaluation methods. Therefore, it is necessary to determine whether any of the changes brought about by the transition to university life are also physical inactivity.

Keywords:
physical activity step count pedometer young adults health

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