The descriptive and aetiological epidemiology of physical activity: composition, volume, and intensity. ...

• Main Author: Lindsay, Timothy
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository 2022
• Subjects: epidemiology; physical activity; descriptive; body composition; compositional analysis; physical activity energy expenditure; energy expenditure; Arctic; inuit
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.17863/cam.83264; https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/335830

Physical activity is known to play a role in the prevention of obesity and related cardiometabolic conditions. However, in order to develop targeted public health interventions, it is first necessary to understand how levels of physical activity vary in different populations, along with the determinants of physical activity and its association with intermediate disease traits. This thesis presents the results of descriptive studies of physical activity in three population cohorts: the UK-based National Diet and Nutrition Survey, the Cambridgeshire-based Fenland Study, and the Russian-based Know Your Heart Study, along with an ecological analysis of 35 population estimates of physical activity energy expenditure from populations as diverse as Arctic Inuit to the Maasai of Kenya. In summary, the analysis shows that physical varies by age, sex, BMI and location. The thesis additionally presents the results of two aetiological studies, one examining the associations between energy intake and macronutrient ...