title: Disparities in activity level and nutrition between patients with chronic hepatitis C and blood donors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare physical activity levels and dietary choices of patients who have chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with those of blood donors (BDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A liver disease treatment center and a blood donor center from a nonprofit health system.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 149 subjects (93 with CHC and 56 BDs) participated. Subjects were 18 years or older and agreed to participate; those with CHC had no evidence of cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  All subjects provided basic clinical information and completed a nutrition survey, which contained questions about dietary choices and their frequency, and the Human Activity Profile, which measured maximum effort (Maximum Activity Score; MAS) and daily activity (Adjusted Activity Score; AAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  MAS and AAS scales and 13 indices on the nutrition survey. Independent samples t-tests, Pearson correlations, and multiple stepwise regression analyses were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were found between BDs and patients with CHC in terms of age, gender, race, body mass index, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or diabetes mellitus. Mean body mass index was 27.5, 17.8% had hyperlipidemia, and 9.6% had diabetes. BDs reported significantly more exercise per week (mean: patients with CHC = 193.6 minutes/week and BDs = 280.4 minutes/week; P = .039) and had a significantly greater MAS (mean: patients with CHC = 77.2 and BDs = 87.4, P = .0001) and AAS (mean: patients with CHC = 72.58 and BDs = 83.8, P = .0001). Stepwise multiple regression analysis proposed 2 models predicting AAS: the presence of CHC (R = .445; R(2) = .198; adjusted R(2) = .184); and the presence of CHC and presence of hypertension (R = .537; R(2) = .289; adjusted R(2) = .263). BDs consumed significantly more alcohol and starchy foods than did patients with CHC (P = .0001 and P = .031, respectively), which may be explained by the compliance of patients with CHC to their hepatologist's recommendations regarding the minimization of alcohol consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Persons with CHC participate in less activity and less vigorous physical activity than do BDs and consume less starch and alcohol. These data about activity level and dietary intake in patients with CHC are novel; few data on these topics have been published previously. Low level of activity adds a substantial risk to this overweight CHC population, many of whom have multiple components of metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Betty and Guy Beatty Center for Integrated Research, Outcomes Research Program, and Department of Medicine, Inova Health System, Falls Church, VA 22042, USA.
authors.forename: Juhi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Jillian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kallman
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Manirath
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srishord
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: Zobair
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Younossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001782:Blood Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires