Active Transportation and Obesity Indicators in Adults from Latin America: ELANS Multi-Country Study

Juan Guzmán Habinger, Javiera Lobos Chávez, Sandra Mahecha Matsudo, Irina Kovalskys, Georgina Gómez, Attilio Rigotti, Lilia Yadira Cortés Sanabria, Martha Cecilia Yépez García, Rossina G. Pareja, Marianella Herrera-Cuenca, Ioná Zalcman Zimberg, Viviana Guajardo, Michael Pratt, Cristian Cofre Bolados, Claudio Farías Valenzuela, Adilson Marques, Miguel Peralta, Ana Carolina B. Leme, Mauro Fisberg, André Oliveira Werneck, Danilo Rodrigues da Silva, Gerson Ferrari and on behalf of the ELANS Study Group
Additional contact information
Juan Guzmán Habinger: Sports Medicine and Physical Activity Specialty, Science Faculty, Universidad Mayor, Santiago 8580745, Chile
Javiera Lobos Chávez: Datrics, Santiago 7500000, Chile
Sandra Mahecha Matsudo: Science Faculty, Universidad Mayor, Santiago 8580745, Chile
Irina Kovalskys: Nutrition Career, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, AAZ Buenos Aires C1107, Argentina
Georgina Gómez: Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José 11501-2060, Costa Rica
Attilio Rigotti: Department of Nutrition, Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Santiago 8330024, Chile
Lilia Yadira Cortés Sanabria: Department of Nutrition and Biochemistry, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
Martha Cecilia Yépez García: College of Health Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 17-1200-841, Ecuador
Rossina G. Pareja: Nutrition Research Institute, Lima 15026, Peru
Marianella Herrera-Cuenca: Centro de Estudios del Desarrollo, Universidad Central de Venezuela (CENDES-UCV)/Fundación Bengoa, Caracas 1053, Venezuela
Ioná Zalcman Zimberg: Department of Psychobiology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
Viviana Guajardo: Nutrition, Health and Wellbeing Area, International Life Science Institute (ILSI) Argentina, Santa Fe Av. 1145, CABA C1059ABF, Argentina
Michael Pratt: Institute for Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0021, USA
Cristian Cofre Bolados: Laboratory of Sciences of Physical Activity, Sports and Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Santiago 7500618, Chile
Claudio Farías Valenzuela: Laboratory of Sciences of Physical Activity, Sports and Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Santiago 7500618, Chile
Adilson Marques: CIPER, Faculty of Human Motricity, Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal
Miguel Peralta: CIPER, Faculty of Human Motricity, Universidade de Lisboa, 1499-002 Lisbon, Portugal
Ana Carolina B. Leme: Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil
Mauro Fisberg: Department of Pediatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo 04023-061, Brazil
André Oliveira Werneck: Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 01246-904, Brazil
Danilo Rodrigues da Silva: Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe—UFS, São Cristóvão 49100-000, Brazil
Gerson Ferrari: Laboratory of Sciences of Physical Activity, Sports and Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Santiago 7500618, Chile
on behalf of the ELANS Study Group: Membership of the ELANS Study Group is provided in the Acknowledgments section of the manuscript.

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-12

Abstract: Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the association between active transportation and obesity indicators in adults from eight Latin American countries. Methods: Data from the ELANS study, an observational multi-country study (n: 8336; 18–65 years), were used. Active transportation (walking and cycling) and leisure time physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (long version). The obesity indicators considered were: body mass index, and waist and neck circumference. Results: In the total sample, the average time dedicated to active transportation was 24.3 min/day, with the highest amount of active transportation being Costa Rica (33.5 min/day), and the lowest being Venezuela (15.7 min/day). The countries with the highest proportion of active transportation were Ecuador (71.9%), and the lowest was Venezuela (40.5%). Results from linear regression analyses suggest that active transportation was significantly and independently associated with a lower body mass index (?: ?0.033; 95% CI: ?0.064; ?0.002), but not with waist circumference (?: ?0.037; 95% CI: ?1.126; 0.390 and neck circumference (?: ?0.007; 95% CI: ?0.269; 0.130). Conclusions: Active transportation is significantly associated with a lower body mass index. Governments should incentivize this type of transportation as it could help to reduce the obesity pandemic in Latin America.

Keywords: physical activity; active transportation; Latin America; obesity; body mass index; waist circumference (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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