title: Prevalence and association of physical activity with obesity: an urban, community-based, cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study levels of physical activity and various measures of obesity and their association in an urban population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand and forty-seven individuals between the ages 25-64 years systematically sampled from a community-based population database were contacted through a house-to-house survey. We adopted the WHO STEPS guidelines for conducting this study. Anthropological measures collected were height, weight, and waist and hip circumference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical Activity (PA) levels declined with age and the decline was greater among females. The Pearson's correlation coefficient for age against PA among males was found to be negative and weak (r = -0.104) and that among females was found to be similar (r = -0.206). The prevalence of obesity was higher among females (28.8 %) than among males (13.3 %) and the difference was statistically significant. There was a progressive increase in abdominal obesity with age in both genders. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher among individuals with low levels of PA as compared to those with high levels of PA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sedentary behavior is prevalent in more than half of the current study sample. This was more so with increasing age, female gender and increasing obesity. PA is an important component on long-term weight control, and therefore adequate levels of activity should be prescribed to combat the obesity epidemic. Habitual moderate physical activity may be beneficial in preventing excess accumulation of fat.
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors: Shavinder
authors: S
authors: Singh
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors: Rajesh
authors: R
authors: Issac
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors: Anoop Ivan
authors: AI
authors: Benjamin
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
authors: Seema
authors: S
authors: Kaushal
keywords: Obesity; WHO STEP; physical activity