RESUMO
The WHO identifies high BMI, high blood pressure, and high fasting plasma glucose as chronic disease risk factors, whereas physical fitness is identified as a protective behavioral factor. This study responds to the rising interest in assessing metabolic factors and physical activity within young populations of Mestizo, Tarahumara, and Mennonite from Chihuahua Mexico, due to its strong relationship with disease development and low well-being. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 201 teenagers from rural towns in Northern Mexico, and relationships between physical fitness and cardio-metabolic risk related to anthropometric, glycolipid, and vascular function factors were assessed. ANOVA-tested differences among ethnic groups using physical fitness as a grouping variable and measures of cardio-metabolic risks were used as dependent variables. A stepwise regression analysis allowed us to identify the best predictors for physical fitness. Clinical risk factors were analyzed by ethnic group and sex. No differences were found among ethnic groups in physical fitness and cardio-metabolic health risks; sex differentiated higher health risks related to behavioral factors, since young women showed lower physical fitness across ethnicities. Clinically, the Mestizo sample showed higher numbers of individuals with one risk factor. Mennonites showed a high frequency of anthropometric and fitness health risks with low glycolipid and vascular risks. Tarahumara had fewer risk factors as compared with both Mestizo and Mennonite. Rural populations are harder to reach, both for health assessment and intervention; health professionals must work close to local community organizations to gain access.
Assuntos
Hipertensão , Aptidão Física , Humanos , Adolescente , Feminino , México , Estudos Transversais , GlicolipídeosRESUMO
Body image is a mental representation that a person has, which could become a body dissatisfaction due to the pressure exerted by the culture, affecting several life stages specially in adolescents. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties and factorial invariance of the questionnaire to assess body image dissatisfaction. The sample consisted of 552 Mexican teenagers, 259 female, and 293 male, with a mean age of 12.91 ± 0.96 years. Confirmatory Factor Analyses show that a five-factor structure is viable and adequate. The five-factor structure (perceptual, emotional distress, behavioral, proposal to change, and fear of gaining weight) show adequate fit indices and validity, even though the obtained model does not completely correspond to that proposed by the authors of the scale, it continues to endorse the multifactorial component of body dissatisfaction. On the other hand, the factorial structure, the factor loadings, and the intercepts are considered invariant in both populations; however, there are differences between the populations for the means of the perceptual, emotional distress, and fear of gaining weight factors. This study serves as a premise for future research on the study of instruments for measuring body image in populations with different personal and cultural factors.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: To study the association between physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) with key metabolic traits and anthropometric measures in the Tarahumara of Mexico. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in five rural communities in Chihuahua, México including 64 adult Tarahumara, mean (SD) age 40.7 (12.9) years. Using a combined accelerometer and heart rate sensor, PAEE was measured over three consecutive days and nights and a sub-maximal step test was carried out in order to (1) calibrate heart rate at the individual level and (2) to estimate CRF. Random blood glucose level and resting blood pressure (BP) were measured with standard anthropometrics. RESULTS: Mean (SD) PAEE was 71.2 (30.3) kJ kg(-1) day(-1) and CRF was 36.6 (6.5) mlO(2) min(-1) kg(-1) . Mean (SD) glucose was 127.9 (32.4) mg/dl, with 3.3% having diabetes. Mean (SD) systolic and diastolic BP was 122 (20.8) and 82 (14.8) mm Hg, respectively, with 28.1% having hypertension. Mean body mass index was 27.5 (4.2) kg m(-2) , with 71.9% being overweight. Following adjustment for age and sex, weak inverse associations were observed between PAEE and systolic BP (ß = -0.20, P = 0.27) and diastolic BP (ß = -0.16, P = 0.23); and between CRF and systolic BP (ß = -0.51, P = 0.14) and diastolic BP (ß = -0.53, P = 0.06). The inverse associations with glucose were also weak and not statistically significant for neither PAEE (ß = -0.01, P = 0.63) nor CRF (ß = -0.05, P = 0.27). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests high levels of overweight and hypertension in the Tarahumara, and points to fitness and physical activity as potential intervention targets although findings should be confirmed in larger samples.