Effect on physical activity among users of walking track under wetland conditions in sub urban area in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Planned environment and Communities can strongly enhance opportunities for people to improve their levels of physical activity (PA). Peaceful area for physical activity nevertheless offer benefits to mind and body both. As most of population travel for work from sub-urban and minimal occupancy of wetland in urban busy settings, it is much beneficiary to develop walking tracks (WT) with wet, greenish surroundings in sub-urban area for the use of working community. Materials & Methods Between 10/ 2014 and 12/ 2014, a total of 428 individuals, attending to selected WTs in Kotte area were randomly assigned to collect data by using interviewer administered questionnaire. The participants were surveyed of their profile, purpose of using Walking tracks, pattern of PA and compared their PA levels after starting use WT with, PA levels before starting to use WT. Non-parametric ?Wilcoxon T test? was used to assess the comparison. Levels of PA in WP (MET score /week) were analyzed in relation to sociodemographic characteristics of the users comparing with standard levels of PA per week. Results & Discussion About 67% of participants revealed that they used to come WT for both relaxation and to do PA and 21% of participants were exercisers only. 51% (n=218) were previous regular exercisers and rest of 49% has started to do regular exercises after establishment of WT. Study in American trail tracks, 23% (n=93) of those surveyed were new exercisers and 77% (n=321) were habitual exercisers (Gordon et al., 2004). Well-educated rich people with more than 40 year age category were attending to WP in majority. Median time spent in WP was 60 minutes and median MET score / week was 792. Wilcoxon T test showed that PA level among users was significantly higher after starting to use WT over their earlier PA levels (p< 0.0001). Being a male (81%), employed person (80%) or having income >50,000LKR (84%) is significantly higher with doing recommended level of PA to their opponents? side (p < 0.05). In contrast to our study findings, study done in Illinois, USA revealed, there were no significant association between male and female regards to level of PA (Gobster et al.,2005). Age category of less than 40 years over more than 40 tears was not significantly different from the level of PA in our study (p = 0.748). In contrast, Results from survey of North Central Research Station, Illinois, USA, showed that younger users figured most strongly in predicting high activity levels compared elders. Those individuals observed on the trail who were 18?38 years of age were nearly 15 times more likely to be highly active than those users over 55 years (Gobster et al.,2005)