Longitudinal Trend of Prevalence of Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines among Korean Adults

Junghoon Kim

Exerc Med. 2017;1:2. Published online June 4, 2017

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26644/em.2017.002

OBJECTIVES

At present, almost nothing is known about longitudinal trends in the proportion of Korean adults meeting recommended guidelines for physical activity or the inter-related factors. Thepurpose of this study was to investigate the longitudinal trends in how Korean adults met new guidelines for physical activity between 2008 and 2013 and to evaluate a range of factors that could have influenced these trends.

METHODS

Analysis involved a dataset of 36,009 adults aged ≥20 years who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2013. The volume of physical activity and muscular activity were assessed using a self-reported questionnaire, and each domain of activity was characterized as being either low or high, based upon physical activity guidelines for Korean adults.

RESULTS

Based on new physical activity guidelines, 22.0%, 26.6%, and 36.8% of Korean adults met the guideline requirements for moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, respectively; 21.8% adults met the requirements for muscular activity. The odds ratio for meeting the requirements of the physical activity guidelines was significantly lower in the elderly population, infemales, and in participants with low income. Moreover, the longitudinal trend for meeting the guidelines for physical activity showed a significant reduction from 2008 to 2012.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the self-reporting questionnaire used in the present study showed that ~35% of Korean adults met the guidelines for physical activity. Furthermore, the longitudinal trend for meeting physical activity guidelines showed a significant reduction between 2008 and 2012. Finally, our findings showed that physical activity estimates for Korean adults vary substantially depending on socio-demographic characteristics.

Keywords: Physical activity; Exercise; Guidelines; KNHANES