Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Short Communication
  • Published:

Relationship between adiposity and pedometer-assessed ambulatory activity in adult, rural African women

International Journal of Obesity volume 32, pages 1327–1330 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose:

To investigate the association between adiposity and pedometry-assessed ambulation in a convenience sample of adult, rural black South African women.

Methods:

Pedometry data were collected over 7 days in 121 subjects. Adiposity measures included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and percentage body fat (PBF).

Results:

Sedentarism (<5000 steps day−1) was found in 13.7%, while 39.7% were classified as accruing sufficient physical activity (⩾10 000 steps day−1). Significant associations (P<0.02) existed between steps day−1 and adiposity measures (r=−0.22 to −0.23). After adjusting for age, only BMI remained significantly associated with steps day−1 (r=−0.20, P=0.032). Significant age-adjusted linear trends were found across combined BMI–WC risk categories for steps day−1 (P=0.036). Adjusting for age, motor vehicle access, education, use of tobacco products and comorbidities, BMI decreased 1.4 kg m−2 per 5000 steps day−1 (P=0.035), access to a motor vehicle within the household increased PBF by 4% (P=0.018), and compared with sedentarism, the risk of obesity (BMI ⩾30 kg m−2) was 52% lower at 10 000 steps day−1 (P=0.028).

Conclusion:

Modest associations were found between adiposity and ambulation. Ambulation decreased the risk for obesity, while motor vehicle access was associated with increased adiposity levels.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kruger HS, Venter CS, Vorster HH, Margetts BM . Physical inactivity is the major determinant of obesity in black women in the North West Province, South Africa: the THUSA study. Transition and Health during Urbanisation of South Africa. Nutrition 2002; 18/5: 422–427.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lambert EV, Charlton KE . Energy expenditure and habitual physical activity levels. In: Charlton KE, Wolmarans P (eds). Food Habits, Dietary Intake and health of Older Coloured South Africans. HSRC/UCT Centre for Gerontology: Cape Town, 1995. pp. 148–159.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Alberts M, Urdal P, Steyn K, Stensvold I, Tverdal A, Nel JH et al. Prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and associated risk factors in a rural black population of South Africa. Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil 2005; 12/4: 347–354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Heyward VH, Stolarczyk LM . Applied Body Composition Assessment 1996. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL, pp. 21–43, 66–88.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Durnin JVGA, Wormersley J . Body fat assessed from total body density and its estimation from skinfold thickness. Measurement on 481 men and women aged 16–72 years. Br J Nutr 1974; 32: 77–97.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. National Institutes of Health. Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults-the evidence report. Obes Res 1998; 6 (Suppl 2): 51S–209S.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bassett DR, Strath SJ . Use of pedometers to assess physical activity. In: Welk GJ (ed). Physical Activity Assessments for Health-Related Research. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL, 2002. pp. 163–177.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Tudor-Locke C, Bassett DR . How many steps/day are enough? Preliminary pedometer indices for public health. Sports Med 2004; 34/1: 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Levitt NS, Katzenellenbogen JM, Bradshaw D, Hoffman MN, Bonnici F . The prevalence and identification of risk factors for NIDDM in urban Africans in Cape Town, South Africa. Diabetes Care 1993; 16/4: 601–607.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kruger HS, Venter CS, Vorster HH . Physical inactivity as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in communities undergoing rural to urban transition: the THUSA study. Cardiovasc J S Afr 2003; 14/1: 16–23, quiz.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Steyn K, Jooste PL, Bourne L, Fourie J, Badenhorst CJ, Bourne DE et al. Risk factors for coronary heart disease in the black population of the Cape Peninsula. S Afr Med J 1991; 79: 480–485.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Tudor-Locke C, Ham SA, Macera CA, Ainsworth BE, Kirtland KA, Reis JP et al. Descriptive epidemiology of pedometer-determined physical activity. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36/9: 1567–1573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bassett DR, Schneider PL, Huntington GE . Physical activity in an Old Order Amish community. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36/1: 79–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Tudor-Locke C, Ainsworth BE, Whitt MC, Thompson RW, Addy CL, Jones DA . The relationship between pedometer-determined ambulatory activity and body composition variables. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2001; 25/11: 1571–1578.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Tudor-Locke CE, Bell RC, Myers AM, Harris SB, Lauzon N, Rodger NW . Pedometer-determined ambulatory activity in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2002; 55/3: 191–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Chan CB, Spangler E, Valcour J, Tudor-Locke C . Cross-sectional relationship of pedometer-determined ambulatory activity to indicators of health. Obes Res 2003; 11/12: 1563–1570.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Thompson DL, Rakow J, Perdue SM . Relationship between accumulated walking and body composition in middle-aged women. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004; 36/5: 911–914.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Bell AC, Keyou G, Popkin BM . The road to obesity or the path to prevention: motorized transportation and obesity in China. Obes Res 2002; 10/4: 277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Lee IM, Rexrode KM, Cook NR, Manson JE, Buring JE . Physical activity and coronary heart disease in women: is ‘no pain, no gain’ passe? JAMA 2001; 285/11: 1447–1454.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Le Masurier GC, Sidman CL, Corbin CB . Accumulating 10 000 steps: does this meet current physical activity guidelines? Res Q Exerc Sport 2003; 74/4: 389–394.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Research Development and Administration Division of the University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus) and the Institutional Research Development Programme of the National Research Foundation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology, Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), Polokwane, South Africa

    I Cook

  2. Department of Medical Sciences, University of Limpopo (Turfloop Campus), Polokwane, South Africa

    M Alberts

  3. MRC/UCT Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, University of Cape Town Medical School, Cape Town, South Africa

    E V Lambert

Authors
  1. I Cook
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M Alberts
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. E V Lambert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to I Cook.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cook, I., Alberts, M. & Lambert, E. Relationship between adiposity and pedometer-assessed ambulatory activity in adult, rural African women. Int J Obes 32, 1327–1330 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.26

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2008.26

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links