Association of Physical Activity Levels with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in a Sample of Iraqi Adults

Background: Physical activity is a crucial determinant of cardiovascular health and metabolic well-being.
Objective: To investigate the association between physical activity levels and various cardiometabolic risk factors in a sample of adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 140 adults, with complete data available for analysis. The participants' physical activity levels were categorized as high or low. Several cardiometabolic risk factors, including age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, food style, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, very-low-density lipoprotein, waist circumference and uroguanylin (UGN) were assessed. Chi-square tests and t-tests were conducted to examine the significance of associations between physical activity levels and each risk factor.
Results: The study found that physical activity levels were significantly associated with younger age (P <0.001), lower body mass index (BMI) (P <0.001), lower systolic blood pressure (P = 0.036), lower diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.036), smaller waist circumference (P <0.001), lower cholesterol (P <0.001), lower triglyceride (P = 0.004), lower low-density lipoprotein (P = 0.003), lower very low-density lipoprotein (p = 0.005), lower obesity prevalence (P <0.001). However, no significant associations were observed for sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, food style or UGN and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).
Conclusion: The physical activity levels are significantly associated with various cardiometabolic risk factors; especially lipid profile parameters and lower obesity prevalence, emphasizing the importance of regular physical activity in maintaining cardiovascular health and metabolic balance in adults.
Keywords: Physical activity, cardiometabolic risk factors, adults, BMI, cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, VLDL, HbA1c, Uroguanylin
Citation: Mohammed FA, Baban RS, Jasim MA. Association of physical activity levels with cardiometabolic risk factors in a sample of Iraqi adults. Iraqi JMS. 2024; 22(2): 314-319. doi: 10.22578/IJMS.22.2.17