Physical Activity and Obesity Risk in Adults in Colombia: The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study.

PURPOSE: To investigate longitudinal associations between physical activity levels and obesity in adults in Colombia, where participation in large amounts of light-intensity physical activity is a necessity for many people.

METHODS: Participation in moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity was assessed from 2005 to 2009 and obesity was assessed from 2011 to 2019 in men and women from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. Total physical activity level was categorized as low (<600 MET-min/week), medium (600-3,000 MET-min/week), or high (>3,000 MET-min/week) (600 MET-min/week is equivalent to 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week). Obesity was defined as body mass index ≥30 kg/m2. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, smoking, socioeconomic status, diet, alcohol, sedentary time, and sleep.

RESULTS: The main analysis included 3,086 men and women aged 51 ± 9 years at baseline (mean ± SD). Compared to the low physical activity group, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for obesity was 0.67 (0.53, 0.85) in the medium physical activity group, and 0.78 (0.62, 0.98) in the high physical activity group after adjustment for potential confounders. Smoking is probably a major confounder and it is noteworthy that similar associations were observed in participants who reported never smoking.

CONCLUSIONS: The PURE study is the only prospective cohort study in Colombia. The present analysis is important because it suggests that even the busy people of Colombia could substantially reduce their risk of obesity by participating in moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity.