TEHRAN – Results of a national study have revealed that some 55 percent of people are not engaging in the recommended physical activity, and more than 90 percent are sedentary.

The study conducted on more than 30,000 adults aged 18 to 70 across the country for examining their level of physical activity showed that 90 percent of the population of Iran are "sedentary" and their physical activity is at a low level.

The article entitled “Physical activity profile of the Iranian population: STEPS survey” was published in BMC Public Health journal in 2019.

The prevalence of insufficient physical activity (IPA) in women is 62 percent, which is significantly higher than men (45 percent).Low physical activity is 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of intense physical activity per week, which is seen in 96 percent of women and 84 percent of men in Iran.

The physical activity below the "low" level (less than 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of intense physical activity per week) is considered "insufficient" physical activity. Fifty-five percent of Iran's population is inadequately physically active.

The prevalence of insufficient physical activity (IPA) in women is 62 percent, which is significantly higher than men (45 percent).

Being a woman, being a housewife, being young, living in urban areas are significantly associated with "higher levels of IPA."

Moreover, low consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, using private cars and developing diabetes is also significantly associated with insufficient physical activity.

IPA is one of the leading causes of premature mortality through the increased burden of non-communicable diseases. From 1990 to 2017, the percentage of low physical activity attributable disability-adjusted life years (DALY) increased globally by 1.5 times and 2-fold in Iran, causing more than 1.2 million deaths worldwide and 18,000 deaths in Iran in 2017.

Reports suggest that Iran, a developing middle-income country, suffers from a high level of IPA. Socioeconomic and cultural alterations along with the country’s developments expose the population to IPA risk.

According to the World Health Organization, insufficient physical activity is one of the leading risk factors for global mortality, which is on the rise in many countries, adding to the burden of NCDs and affecting general health worldwide. People who are insufficiently active have a 20 percent to 30 percent increased risk of death compared to people who are sufficiently active.

FB/MG