The Role of Physical Activity Status in the Relationship between Obesity and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) in Urban South African Teachers: The SABPA Study

Tamrin Veldsman; Mariette Swanepoel; Makama Andries Monyeki; Johanna Susanna Brits; Leoné Malan

doi:10.3390/ijerph19106348

The Role of Physical Activity Status in the Relationship between Obesity and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) in Urban South African Teachers: The SABPA Study

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 23;19(10):6348. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19106348.

Authors

Tamrin Veldsman¹, Mariette Swanepoel¹, Makama Andries Monyeki¹, Johanna Susanna Brits², Leoné Malan³

Affiliations

¹ Physical Activity, Sport and Recreation Research Focus Area (PhASRec), Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
² Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART), North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.
³ Technology Transfer and Innovation-Support Office, North-West University, Private Bag X1290, Potchefstroom 2520, South Africa.

Abstract

Globally, the prevalence of physical inactivity and obesity are on the rise, which may increase carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) as a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis. This study assessed the association between physical activity (PA), obesity, and CIMT. A cross-sectional study design was used, including a sub-sample (n = 216) of teachers who participated in the Sympathetic Activity and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Africans (SAPBA) study. Measurements included the following: physical activity status (measured with ActiHeart devices over 7 consecutive days), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), CIMT (measured by SonoSite Micromax ultrasound), blood pressure (BP), fasting C-reactive protein (CRP), and cholesterol and glucose levels. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science. One-third of the teachers were physically inactive (33%) and had low-grade inflammation CRP ≥ 3 mg/L (41%). Males were more sedentary and had higher BP and CIMT (p < 0.05). Independent of age and sex, WC or central obesity was 2.63 times more likely (p = 0.02) to contribute to atherosclerosis, especially in females (OR: 4.23, p = 0.04). PA levels were insignificantly and negatively (β −0.034; 0.888; 0.240) related to subclinical atherosclerosis. The cardiovascular disease risk profiles and limited PA status may have curbed the beneficial impact of PA on the obesity and atherosclerosis.

Keywords: South Africa; atherosclerosis; carotid intima-media thickness; obesity; physical activity; teachers.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Atherosclerosis* / epidemiology
Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory
C-Reactive Protein
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Exercise
Female
Humans
Male
Obesity / epidemiology
South Africa / epidemiology

Substances

C-Reactive Protein

Grants and funding

The SABPA study was funded by the Hypertension in Africa Research Team (HART; North-West University), the North West Education Department, Medical Research Council (MRC) of South Africa, the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa, Roche Diagnostics, South Africa, and the Metabolic Syndrome Institute, France. The funding institutions played no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; or preparation of the manuscript. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily the funding bodies.