title: Anthropometric measures, presence of metabolic syndrome, and adherence to physical activity guidelines among African American church members, Dallas, Texas, 2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The low prevalence of physical activity among African Americans and high risk of cardiovascular disease lends urgency to assessing the association between metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, and adherence to current physical activity guidelines. Few studies have examined this association among African American adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the association between demographic characteristics, anthropometric measures, and metabolic syndrome and adherence to the 2008 Department of Health and Human Services guidelines for moderate and vigorous physical activity. Participants were 392 African American church members from congregations in Dallas, Texas. Physical activity levels were assessed via a validated questionnaire (7-Day Physical Activity Recall), and metabolic syndrome was determined on the basis of the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute diagnostic criteria. We used bivariate and multinomial logistic regression to examine the associations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Meeting guidelines for vigorous physical activity was significantly and independently associated with the absence of metabolic syndrome among women (odds ratio, 4.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.63-13.14; P = .003), after adjusting for covariates. No association was found between meeting moderate or vigorous physical activity guidelines and metabolic syndrome among men. Meeting physical activity guidelines was not associated with body mass index or waist circumference among this sample of predominantly overweight and obese African American church members.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results indicate that meeting the 2008 guidelines for vigorous physical activity is associated with the absence of metabolic syndrome among African American women. This finding might suggest the need to integrate vigorous physical activity into interventions for African American women as a preventive therapy for cardiovascular risk.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, 6011 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA. kerem.shuval@UTSouthwestern.edu
authors.forename: Kerem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shuval
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeVahl
authors.forename: Liyue
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gimpel
authors.forename: Jenny J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Mark J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: DeHaven
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D013781:Texas