Dr. Matus-Castillo, Carlos

Background: Housewives represent a important proportion of the Chilean population. However, there is limited evidence about their lifestyles. Aim: To characterize lifestyles and determine the level of compliance with healthy lifestyles guidelines of housewives in Chile. Material and Methods: Housewives from the 2009-2010 National Health Survey were included. The variables studied included levels of physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, diet, hours of sleep and smoking. Compliance with healthy lifestyle behaviors was evaluated through logistic regression, granting a value of 1 for compliance and 0 for non-compliance. A healthy lifestyle was defined as meeting at least four healthy behaviors. Results: Housewives aged > 55 years had a higher BMI and waist circumference compared to those aged < 40 years. Housewives were also more likely to report moderate alcohol consumption and were more likely to meet a healthier lifestyle score (Odds ratio = 1.52 [95% confidence intervals: 1.09 to 2.11], p = 0.013). No significant age trends were observed for other lifestyle behaviors. Conclusions: Housewives had high levels of central obesity, excess body weight and high levels of salt intake but low alcohol intake. Their healthy lifestyles behaviors increased along with increasing age.

Background: One of the side effects of cancer treatment is a low level of physical activity (PA) due to fatigue and pain. Aim: To quantify PA levels in Chilean people with cancer. Material and Methods: Analysis of the National Health Survey 2016-2017 including 6,233 participants, comparing those with and without a self-report of cancer was conducted. Levels of PA and sitting time were assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results: 3% of participants [confidence intervals (CI): 2.6; 3.9] reported having cancer and 34% [95% CI: 22.7; 46.7] of these reported being physically inactive, compared to 25% [95% CI: 22.5; 27,3] of those without cancer. Participants with cancer performed 56 and 77 minutes/day lower vigorous and total PA than participants without cancer. No differences between groups were observed for commuting PA, moderate PA and sedentary time. Lower level of PA was independent of the years elapsed since the diagnosis of cancer. Conclusions: People with cancer are less physically active than their counterparts without the disease.

La pandemia del COVID-19 modificó los estilos de vida de la población mundial, debido a las medidas de confinamiento para reducir la actividad social masiva. Esto aumentó los niveles de inactividad física y sus riesgos para la salud. Por ello, el Ministerio de Salud de Chile estableció una banda horaria exclusiva para la práctica de actividad física. Los objetivos del estudio fueron conocer las percepciones de los usuarios y las características de la actividad física realizada durante la banda horaria. Se empleó un enfoque interpretativo, de diseño cualitativo, mediante un estudio de caso, con una entrevista personal y presencial. El instrumento fue un guion semiestructurado, aplicado a once sujetos adultos de ambos sexos, con edades entre los 24 y 69 años, que realizaban actividad física en un parque de la ciudad de Concepción, Chile, durante el año 2021. Los resultados indican que las personas realizaban actividades físicas por placer, para cuidar la salud y socializar, y reportaron sentirse con energía durante el día. Manifestaron un alto nivel de satisfacción con esta medida y una alta motivación hacia la práctica de actividad física, pero sugirieron ampliar el horario de la mañana e introducir una nueva banda en la tarde. Por otro lado, realizaron actividades físicas preferiblemente grupales, de cuatro a siete veces por semana, y de una a dos horas de duración. En conclusión, las percepciones hacia la banda horaria fueron positivas, y las características de las prácticas físicas contribuyeron significativamente a mejorar la salud y el bienestar durante el confinamiento.

Background: Handgrip strength is an indicator of frailty in older people. Aim: To determine the prevalence of low handgrip strength in older Chilean adults. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 244 individuals aged 60 years or more, participating in the 2016-2017 Chilean National Health Survey, was carried out. Handgrip strength was evaluated by a hand dynamometer and low grip strength was determined as a grip strength ≤ 15 kg and ≤ 27 kg for women and men, respectively. Results: Twenty nine percent of participants had low grip strength. The average grip strength among 60-year-old men and women was 34.7 and 22.1 kg, respectively. These figures decreased to 28.8 kg and 17.2 kg among 90-year-old men and women, respectively. The prevalence of low grip strength in men and women aged 60 years was 18%. In 90-year-old men and women, these figures increased to 79% and 56.3%, respectively. Conclusions: The prevalence of low grip strength increased substantially with age.

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between physical activity (PA), both occupational (OPA) and during leisure time (LTPA), with obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in Chilean adults. 5,157 participants from the Chilean National Health Survey 2009–2010 were included in this study. OPA and LTPA levels were assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. The association between both PA with obesity and cardiovascular risk factors was determined using logistic regression. Our findings showed a significant trend between higher LTPA and lower odds for obesity (OR 0.64 [95% CI: 0.53; 0.76], central obesity 0.52 [0.44; 0.61]) and other cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes (OR: 0.72 [0.55; 0.94]), hypertension (OR: 0.59 [0.50; 0.71]) and metabolic syndrome (OR: 0.62 [0.50; 0.78]). In contrast, OPA was only associated with lower odds of diabetes (OR: 0.79 [0.65; 0.98]) and hypertension (0.85 [0.74; 0.98]). In conclusion, LTPA was associated with a lower risk of all major cardiovascular risk factors, whereas OPA was only associated with a lower risk of diabetes and hypertension.

Background: A higher educational level is associated with healthier lifestyles. Aim: To assess the association between the level of compliance with physical activity recommendations and years of formal education in Chilean adults. Material and Methods: Analysis include 6,174 participants from the National Health Survey 2016-2017. Physical activity levels were assessed through the Global Physical Questionnaire (GPAQ v2). Physical inactivity was defined as < 600 MET/minute/week. Results: Among subjects without education, 44% and 27% of women and men respectively, were physically inactive. Among women and men with the highest number of years of education (> 16) the figures for physical inactivity were 27% and 15% respectively. The odds for not meeting the physical activity recommendations was 2.3 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.57; 3.38] and 3.9 [95% CI: 2.27; 6.95] in women and men without any formal education respectively, as compared with those who reported 12 years of education. Women and men who reported a high level of education ≥ (16 years) did not show significant differences compared to the reference group. Conclusions: People with low levels of education are were likely to be physically inactive.

Introduction: Physical inactivity is associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases. Regular stair use can contribute to increasing physical activity in the population. This study aimed to investigate the association between flights of stairs used daily at home and all-cause mortality and cause-specific incidence and mortality. Methods: Of the 502,628 UK Biobank participants recruited between 2007 and 2010, 442,027 (mean age, 56§8 years) had available data and were included in the analyses conducted in 2023. Participants were categorized on the basis of flights of stairs climbed daily (1−5, 6−10, 11−15, >15). The disease-specific outcomes were cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause dementia. Cox proportional hazard models, adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and health-related confounding factors, were used to analyze the associations between stair use frequency and health outcomes. Results: Participants were followed up for a median of 10.9 years. Climbing stairs >15 times per day was associated with a lower risk of 8 of the 9 outcomes analyzed than not using stairs. The magnitude of association ranged from 3% (95% CI=0.94, 0.99) lower risk for all-cause cancer to 51% (95% CI=0.39, 0.60) lower risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Findings were similar for mortality outcomes, with the hazard ratios ranging from 0.82 (95% CI=0.77, 0.87) for all-cause cancer to 0.46 (95% CI=0.23, 0.92) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality. Conclusions: Stair use was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and cause-specific incidence and mortality independent of confounding factors, including adiposity and multimorbidity.

Antecedentes: las recomendaciones internacionales fomentan la realización de al menos 150 minutos de actividad física (AF) moderada/vigorosa o 75 minutos de AF vigorosa semanalmente; sin embargo, se desconoce cuál es el porcentaje de cumplimiento de estas recomendaciones en los distintos grupos etarios chilenos. Objetivo: caracterizar los patrones de AF según grupos etarios y sexo en población chilena. Métodos: fueron incluidos 5.293 participantes de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud (ENS) 2009-2010. Se determinaron los niveles de AF (de transporte, moderada y vigorosa) y el tiempo sedentario a través del cuestionario GPAQ V2. El tiempo total destinado a los diferentes tipos de AF y el tiempo sedentario entre las diferentes categorías de edad fueron analizados según sexo mediante regresión lineal. Resultados: en comparación con el grupo < 20 años, la AF de transporte muestra una disminución a partir de los 60 años en ambos sexos. En ambos sexos, la AF de intensidad moderada alcanzó su nivel más alto entre los 40-49 años, pero posterior a esta edad se observó una pronunciada disminución. La AF vigorosa alcanzó su nivel más alto entre los 30-39 años para mujeres y 40-49 años para hombres. Finalmente, el tiempo sedente se incrementó a partir de los 60 años, alcanzando su nivel más alto en ≥ 80 años en ambos sexos. Conclusión: los patrones de AF en población chilena se modifican con la edad y su intensidad varía por sexo. Estos resultados podrían orientar el desarrollo de políticas y programas que promuevan la realización de AF, especialmente en edades donde se observan los niveles más bajos.

Introducción: La determinación del nivel de actividad física (AF) puede realizarse a través de acelerómetro o mediante cuestionario de auto-reporte. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar los niveles de AF entre un cuestionario de auto-reporte y la medición con acelerómetro de movimiento según factores sociodemográficos en la población chilena. Métodos: Estudio de corte transversal que incluyó a 230 adultos chilenos participantes del proyecto Genes, Ambiente, Diabetes y Obesidad (GENADIO). Niveles de AF fueron medidos mediante el cuestionario Internacional Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) y acelerómetro de movimiento (ActiGraph). Resultados: IPAQ subestimó los niveles de AF total en comparación a la medición con acelerómetro (delta [IPAQ-Acel.]= -55,7 min/día). Según nivel educacional, se evidenció que el cuestionario IPAQ sobreestimó los niveles de AF total en personas con bajo nivel educacional (delta [IPAQ-Acel.]= 70,4 min/día), pero subestimó la AF total en personas con enseñanza media o técnico universitaria (delta [IPAQ-Acel.]= -67,9 y -135,6 min/día, respectivamente). Resultados similares fueron observados para los distintos niveles de ingreso socioeconómico (NSE). Conclusión: El cuestionario de auto-reporte IPAQ subestimó los niveles de AF total en comparación a la medición por acelerómetro; sin embargo, estas diferencias variaron según factores sociodemográficos.