Dr. Matus-Castillo, Carlos

Background: Cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong predictor of mortality and chronic diseases. However, its estimation is costly and time consuming which may limit it broad use in population-based studies. Aim: To estimate the cardiorespiratory fitness of the Chilean population by using equations and to characterize fitness levels of the Chilean population by sociodemographic factors. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 5,958 adults from the Chilean Health Survey conducted between 2016 and 2017. Cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated from sex-specific equations for men and women and expressed as METs (Energy Metabolic Equivalent). Fitness levels were characterized by sociodemographics factors (age, sex, education, income and area of residency). Results: Fitness levels were higher in men (9.01 METs) than in women (6.76 METs) and in average decrease by 0.59 and 0.34 METs per each year increment in age for men and women, respectively. Fitness levels were 12.7 METs and 7.8 METs for 20-year-old men and women, respectively. However, fitness levels decreased to 7.8 METs and 4.3 METs in 90-year-old men and women, respectively. Fitness levels were also higher in individuals living in urban setting, those with higher education or income levels and lean individuals. Conclusions: This study reports fitness levels in a nationally representative sample of Chile. Fitness levels were higher in men than women however, its decline with age was more pronounce in men than women.

Background: Adiposity and education are two independent risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, there is limited evidence whether both education and adiposity are associated with T2D in an additive manner in the Chilean population. Aim: To investigate the joint association between adiposity and education with T2D in the Chilean adult population. Material and Methods: Analysis of data of the Chilean National Health Survey 2016-2017, which included 5,033 participants with a mean age of 43 years, (51% women). Poisson regression analyses with robust standard error were used to investigate the joint association of the education level and general and central adiposity with T2D. The results were reported as Prevalence Ratio and their 95% confidence intervals (PR, 95% CI). Results: Obesity was associated with a higher probability of having T2D in men than in women, however central adiposity was associated with a higher probability of having T2D in women than in men. Compared with men who had higher education (> 12 years) and had normal body weight, those with the same educational level and who were obese had 2.3-times higher probability of having T2D (PR: 2.35 [95% CI: 1.02; 5.39]). For women, having a low education and being obese was associated with 4.4-times higher probability of having T2D compared to those with higher education and normal body mass index (BMI) (PR: 4.47 [95% IC: 2.12; 9.24]). Similar results were observed when waist circumference was used as a marker of obesity rather than BMI. Conclusions: Women and men with higher BMI and low education had a higher risk of T2D. However, this risk was higher in women than in men.