Active Transportation and Obesity Indicators in Adults from Latin America: ELANS Multi-Country Study

Author(s):Show less -

Guzman Habinger, Juan ^[1] ; Lobos Chavez, Javiera ^[2] ; Mahecha Matsudo, Sandra ^{[3, 4]} ; Kovalskys, Irina ^[5] ; Gomez, Georgina ^[6] ; Rigotti, Attilio ^[7] ; Cortes Sanabria, Lilia Yadira ^[8] ; Yepez Garcia, Martha Cecilia ^[9] ; Pareja, Rossina G. ^[10] ; Herrera-Cuenca, Marianella ^[11] ; Zalcman Zimberg, Iona ^[12] ; Guajardo, Viviana ^[13] ; Pratt, Michael ^[14] ; Cofre Bolados, Cristian ^{[15, 16]} ; Farias Valenzuela, Claudio ^[15] ; Marques, Adilson ^{[17, 18]} ; Peralta, Miguel ^{[17, 18]} ; Leme, Ana Carolina B. ^[19] ; Fisberg, Mauro ^{[20, 21]} ; Oliveira Werneck, Andre ^[19] ; Rodrigues da Silva, Danilo ^[22] ; Ferrari, Gerson ^[15] ; Grp, ELANS Study

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Univ Mayor, Sci Fac, Sports Med & Phys Act Specialty, Santiago 8580745 - Chile

^[2] Datrics, Santiago 7500000 - Chile

^[3] Univ Mayor, Sci Fac, Santiago 8580745 - Chile

^[4] MEDS Clin, Acad Unit, Santiago 7550000 - Chile

^[5] Pontificia Univ Catolica Argentina, Nutr Career, Fac Med Sci, C-1107 Aaz Buenos Aires - Argentina

^[6] Univ Costa Rica, Sch Med, Dept Biochem, San Jose 115012060 - Costa Rica

^[7] Pontificia Univ Catolica, Sch Med, Dept Nutr Diabet & Metab, Santiago 8330024 - Chile

^[8] Pontificia Univ Javeriana, Dept Nutr & Biochem, Bogota 110231 - Colombia

^[9] Univ San Francisco Quito, Coll Hlth Sci, Quito 171200841 - Ecuador

^[10] Nutr Res Inst, Lima 15026 - Peru

^[11] Univ Cent Venezuela CENDES UCV, Ctr Estudios Desarrollo, Fdn Bengoa, Caracas 1053 - Venezuela

^[12] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Psychobiol, BR-04023062 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[13] Int Life Sci Inst ILSI Argentina, Nutr Hlth & Wellbeing Area, Santa Fe Av 1145, C1059ABF, Caba - Argentina

^[14] Univ Calif San Diego, Inst Publ Hlth, La Jolla, CA 92093 - USA

^[15] Univ Santiago Chile, Fac Med Sci, Lab Sci Phys Act Sports & Hlth, USACH, Santiago 7500618 - Chile

^[16] Univ Santo Tomas Santiago Chile, Sch Sports Sci & Phys Act, Inst Sports Sci, Santiago 8370003 - Chile

^[17] Univ Lisbon, Fac Human Motric, CIPER, P-1499002 Lisbon - Portugal

^[18] Univ Lisbon, Fac Med, ISAMB, P-1649028 Lisbon - Portugal

^[19] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Nutr, BR-01246904 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[20] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Pediat, BR-04023061 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[21] Fundacao Jose Luiz Egydio Setubal, Inst Pensi, Hosp Infantil Sabara, BR-01227200 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[22] Fed Univ Sergipe UFS, Dept Phys Educ, BR-49100000 Sao Cristovao - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH; v. 17, n. 19 OCT 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the association between active transportation and obesity indicators in adults from eight Latin American countries. Methods: Data from the ELANS study, an observational multi-country study (n: 8336; 18-65 years), were used. Active transportation (walking and cycling) and leisure time physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (long version). The obesity indicators considered were: body mass index, and waist and neck circumference. Results: In the total sample, the average time dedicated to active transportation was 24.3 min/day, with the highest amount of active transportation being Costa Rica (33.5 min/day), and the lowest being Venezuela (15.7 min/day). The countries with the highest proportion of active transportation were Ecuador (71.9%), and the lowest was Venezuela (40.5%). Results from linear regression analyses suggest that active transportation was significantly and independently associated with a lower body mass index (beta: -0.033; 95% CI: -0.064; -0.002), but not with waist circumference (beta: -0.037; 95% CI: -1.126; 0.390 and neck circumference (beta: -0.007; 95% CI: -0.269; 0.130). Conclusions: Active transportation is significantly associated with a lower body mass index. Governments should incentivize this type of transportation as it could help to reduce the obesity pandemic in Latin America. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/24124-7 - Prospective association of ultra-processed food consumption and physical inactivity in the prediction of depressive symptoms among adults
• Grantee: André de Oliveira Werneck
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate