Health-enhancing physical activity and health-related risk in a sample of North Mexican, office-based employees

Levels of hypertension, obesity and raised total cholesterol are increasing in Mexico. Mexicans employed within sedentary occupations may be particularly at risk of developing one, or a clustering of these health-related risk factors, due to lack of participation in health enhancing physical activity (HEPA). The purpose of this study is to examine: a) prevalence rates of hypertension, obesity and raised total cholesterol, and b) the link between these variables and HEPA, in a sample of North Mexican, office-based employees. Methods include an assessment of systolic/diastolic blood pressure,% body fat, total cholesterol and HEPA (7-day self-report) in 47 men (33±10 years) and 43 women (28±7 years) from Monterrey, a large industrial city in the Northeast of Mexico. Values were compared against recognised health-related thresholds to determine prevalence rates of individual health-related risk factors, along with clustering of two or more risk factors. Relationships between variables were analysed using Pearson product moment correlation. The results show Men had a high prevalence of obesity (32%) and raised total cholesterol (44%), while women's rates were lower (7% and 10% respectively). More men (59%) than women (17%) demonstrated a clustering of two or more risk factors. HEPA participation was low in both men (9%) and women (16%). A significant relationship was found between men's HEPA and % body fat (n=-0.31;