Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine (Sep 2018)
Use of the IPAQ questionnaire in the form of a mobile application in monitoring physical activity of patients with cardiovascular diseases
Abstract
Introduction Systematic, dynamic physical effort brings about tremendous health benefits, not only in young individuals, but as a form of primary prevention, and primarily as secondary prevention of cardiovascular system diseases. Material and methods The research project was conducted in the Rehabilitation Centre at the Witold Chodźko Institute of Rural Health (IMW) in Lublin, Poland, and covered a group of 927 ambulatory patients. From among the study group, two subgroups were distinguished (Groups 1 and 2). Selection of patients was targeted, based on the criterion of the existing diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (Group 1; N=53), and the lack of these diseases (Group 2; N=53). The daily level of physical activity was assessed using the monitoring application (Instrument for Activity Measurement IMW) – using a short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and alternatively analyzing the data from a smartphone accelerometer. Results The total level of weekly physical activity in Group 1 was 4532.88±3611.6 MET-min/week, and was considerably higher, compared to the control group (3142.58±2536.9 MET-min/week). Also, the values of weekly caloric cost of physical activity (KAF kcalxweek -1 ) showed higher values (6935.77±5957.4), compared to the control group (4274±3344.9). The group of cardiologic patients (Group 1) showed a higher level of activity, especially within the range of effort on an intensive level, and low level – going for walks, walking(MET1, MET3), which was also translated into the caloric cost of these levels of physical activity (KAF1, KAF3). Conclusions The results of the study indicated a significantly higher level of physical activity in the group of patients with concomitant cardiovascular diseases, compared to the control group. The overestimation of the level of physical activity perceived by patients seems to be an important problem, especially in the control group.
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