This is a cross-sectional study to evaluate the relationships between physical fitness, leisure time physical activity, and serum lipid levels in middle-aged male workers. Physical fitness was measured by a step test score, and leisure time physical activity was self-reported on a questionnaire. Serum total cholesterol was negatively related to physical fitness(r=-0.27), and positively to obesity index(r=0.27). But leisure time physical activity was related to total cholesterol negatively(r.-0.20) only in subjects whose total cholesterol levels were above 170mg/dl. High density lipoprotein(HDL) cholesterol was positively related to physical faintness(r=0.15), negatively to obesity index(r=-0.22), and positively to weekly alcohol consumption(r=0.14). Total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio was related to physical fitness(r=-0.23), obesity index(r=0.32), total cigarette index (r=0.13), weekly alcohol consumption(r=-0.13), and vegetable preference(r=0.13) physical fitness was also related to leisure time physical activity(r=0.19) and obesity index(r=-0.18). In multiple linear regression models, physical fitness(beta= -0.23) and obesity index(beta=0.18) were significantly associated with total cholesterol, obesity index(beta=-0.25) with HDL cholesterol, and obesity index(beta=0.30), physical fitness(beta= -0.16) and vegetable preference (beta=0.14) with total cholesterol HDL cholesterol ratio. In conclusion, as physical fitness has a stronger relationship with serum lipid levels than leisure time physical activity, and the association between physical fitness and leisure time physical activity is modest, physical fitness should be added as an important variable in addition to activity in future epidemiologic studies.
This study was attempted to observe leisure time physical activity pattern and its relationship to coronary risk factors(BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting blood sugar). Subjects participated in this study were 277 adult male workers of an industry in Kyungpook province, Korea. Energy expenditure were measured using modified Physical Activity History questionnaire of CARDIA study by interviewing. Serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar level were tested with 5 ml fasting blood and height, weight and blood pressure were measured. Data on smoking and drinking habits and others were obtained. Geometric mean of leisure time physical energy expenditure were estimated as 212.80 kcal per week for study subjects and only 22.4% of them expended 2,000 kcal or more per week in leisure time physical activity. Taking walks or hikes and jogging or running were more frequent leisure time physical activities in study subjects. Statistically significant mean differences in total weekly leisure time physical activity for all coronary risk factors were not found among three groups. Because energy expenditure of leisure time was generally low in this subjects and most of them were healthy men, we did not found that leisure time physical activity was significantly associated with coronary risk factors.