Sedentary lifestyle of rural and urban people of Kaduna
state: the need for exercise
Dr. sheu, Raheem Adaramaja
Department of Physical and Health Education,
Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin, Nigeria
Phone Number: +234/8035778798; e-mail: drraheemsheu@yahoo.co.uk
&
Ibraheem, Tajudeem Olanrawaju
Department of Physical and Health Education,
Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin , Nigeria
Phone Number: +234/8033380286;e-mail: infoiot@yahoo.com
Abstract
The study examined the difference in the sedentary lifestyle of rural urban people
of Kaduna state. It also investigated the series of health problems suffered by the
people of Kaduna state as a result of their sedentary lifestyle. Descriptive research
design was adopted for the study. The study consisted of all individual from age
18 years and above living both in rural and urban areas of Kaduna state as at the
time of this study. A total of 1,350 respondents were randomly selected through
a multistage cluster random sampling techniques from the three (3) senatorial
district of the state. A structured questionnaire developed and pilot test was
used to collect relevant information form the respondents. The data emanated
from the study were analyzed using appropriate descriptive and inferential
statistics of student t-test and chi-square analysis. The results revealed that
urban people of Kaduna state engage in sedentary lifestyle more than their rural
counterparts . it also revealed that health problem suffered by the people of
kaduda state are significantly related to their sedentary lifestyle. The authors
recommended that among others that optimal affluence lifestyle should be
discouraged through public health education in order to reduce health problems
like obesity, hypertension,, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases among the
urban residents of Kaduna state.
Introduction
Lifestyle is generally considered a personal issue. However, lifestyle are social
practices or was of living adopted by individual s which reflect personal or group
and social economic identifies. Although lifestyle reflects individual identities,
they are primarily a refection of the norms and values to which individuals
belong. Lifestyle is the sum of total of one’s ways of life. Thus, the lifestyle of any
society is reflected in their modes of dressing, dietary habits, culture, religion ,
language and participation in physical activities. Moyoclinic (1999) was of the
opinion that the individual lifestyle or health habits and behaviours constitute
what he does and what he fails to do, ranging from smoking, over reading,
inactivity, alcoholism, drug abuse and participation of unprotected sexual
relationship.
The Word Health Organization (WHO,1993) reported that there is a strong
negative relationship between peoples morality rates and lifestyle practices. It
further highlighted conditions that promote unhealthy lifestyles practices by
individual such as lack of adequate health knowledge, acquisition of
misinformation about health matters and development of hazardous lifestyles.
One of such hazardous lifestyle is physical inactivity or sedentary lifestyle. Among
the modifiable risk factors in the development of sedentary lifestyle, residence
seems a major determinant of unhealthy lifestyle, since urban residence have a
1.5 to 4 fold prevalence of lifestyle factors like smoking , heavy use of alcohol,
sedentary lifestyle , drug abuse and misuse and unsafe sexual practice compare
to their rural counterparts (levitt, et al, 1998).
Urban lifestyle in Africa and particularly in Nigeria is characterized by
changing in dietary habits involving an increase in consumption of refined sugars
and saturated fat, and a reduction in fiber intake (sharama et at 1996; Mennen,
et al 2000). Majority depend on imported and refined food nutrients with little
nutritional value which may have adverse effects on their well being. In addition,
there is reduction in physical activity with urban lifestyle. The technological and
communication advancement do not help matters in this regard.
The use of automobiles telephone facilities, mobile phone, air-conditioners and
house hold technological gadgets has substantially increase the sedentary
lifestyle of the urban resident. Rural populations rely upon foot walk as a means
of transportation and often have intense agricultural and manual activities as
their main occupations (Alemu and Lindjorn, 1995). Rural people therefore have
a high physical activities related energy expenditure compare to their urban
counterpart (Singh, et al 1989; Hein, et al 1991). Thus explaining the higher rates
of obesity, hypertension, overweight, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases in
the cities. Rashid, et al(2000) reported that obesity and cardiovascular diseases
are at least 7 times higher in urban areas compared to rural areas.
A regular level of physical activity has great potential in improving health and
well being. Health gains form physical activity include enhance mood and selfesteem, improved physical appearance and a substantial reduction of several
cancers, premature morality, obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular
diseases, non-insulin dependents diabetes and osteoporosis. Physical activity or
sedentary lifestyle help to develop one or all of the above mentioned diseases.
David (200) reported a high risk of non-fatal cardiac diseases for women in the
sedentary control group in comparison with active group.. he added that , 30
minutes of moderate activities each day can improve health and reduce the risk
of developing certain condition s of diseases. According to him. These 30 minutes
can be accumulated in the shorter bouts of 10 minutes of walks.
Moderate activity is good and energetic, but should be at a level at which
conversation can be maintained..
Physical activity or exercise aids cardiovascular and respiratory functions,
slows the loss of muscular strength , increase bone mass, aids digestion, and
bowels functions, promotes sound sleep and prevents depression. The amount of
physical activity needed to maintain a healthy weight, lose weight an promotes
good health, including cancer risk, I is recommended by the united department
state of health and human service (1996) and David (2002) to be 30 minutes of
moderate physical activity on most days of week. The level of activity might
include walking, jogging, running, gardening and swimming.
The prevalence of obesity continuous to increase in Nigeria, particularly I
Kaduna state, the provincial headquarters of former northern region. The factors
that appear to be most responsible are sedentary behavior patterns and
excessive fat in the diet. There is a scarcity of national and international
epidemiology studies assessing the prevalence of sedentary lifestyle in the area
(sheu, 2005). Sedentary lifestyle is referred to as those individuals who did not
practice any addition spent long time sitting down (no participation in activities
and long time sitting down-NP +LSD). However, attempts to encourage
individuals to adopt active lifestyle and to maintain low fat have not been very
successful in producing significant and long lasting weight loss resulting from
sedentary lifestyle. The perception that physical activity is not needed or that
perception that physical activity is no needed or that one’s daily occupation
provide, enough, follows ,,the wrong assumption that sedentary lifestyle
behaviors reduce cardiovascular fitness leading to reduce felling of energy,
making exercise loss likely.
Purpose of study
The aim of the study was to examine the sedentary lifestyle of rural and urban
people of Kaduna state. The study also examine the need for improved physical
activity or ex or exercise in other to reduce health problems associated with
sedentary lifestyle among the studied population.
Research Questions
- Is there difference in the sedentary lifestyle of rural and urban people of
Kaduna state?
- Is there difference in importance of physical activity or exercise in the
reduction of health problems associated with sedentary lifestyle among
rural and urban people of Kaduna state?
Hypotheses
1. There is no significant difference in sedentary lifestyle or rura and urban
people of Kaduna state.
2. There is no significant difference in the importance of physical activity or
exercise in the reduction of health problems associated with sedentary
lifestyle among rural and urban people of Kaduna state.
Methodology
Descriptive research design was adopted for this study and the population
consisted of all individuals from age 18 years and above living in both rural
and urban areas of Kaduna state. A total of 1350 despondence was
randomly selected through a multistage cluster random sampling
techniques from towns and villages that made the three senatorial districts
of Kaduna state. i.e. 450 respondents from the rural area were used for the
study. A structured research instrument (sedentary lifestyle questionnaire
SLQ) developed and pilot tested to collect relevance information was used
for the study. The instrument was administered on the respondents by the
researchers with the help of four (4)research assistants who are fluent in
the various local languages (Hausa, Fulani, Nupe, Garge, Yoruba and Igbo)
in kwara state. The the data emanated from the study were analyzed using
appropriate descriptive and differences in the sedentary lifestyle of rural
and urban people of Kaduna state; and chi-square to find out whether the
health problems suffered by the people of Kaduna state are significantly
related to their sedentary lifestyle.
Table 1: Means Standard Deviation, Standard Error and t-value of
differences between the sedentary lifestyle of rural and urban people of
Kaduna state.
Type of No of
dwelling cases
Mean
Rural
8.8222
450
Standard Standard Degree Calculated Critical
Deviation error
of
t-value
value
freedom
2.739
0.129
1340
3.47
1.96
Urban
Total
900
1350
8.82821 2.672
0.89
A careful examination of table 1 showed that the calculated t-value of 3..47
is greater than the critical value of 1.96 at 0.05 alpha level of significance.
Therefore , the null hypothesis that says that rural and urban people of
Kaduna state are not significantly different in their sedentary lifestyle or
physical inactivity is rejected. This means that significance differences exist
in the sedentary lifestyle of rural and urban people of Kaduna state. The
table further shows that the mean of urban people (N=900,MEAN 8.2821,
sd-2.672) are less than the mean of rural people (N=450, Mean=8.8222 and
SD = 2.739), confirmed that urban people engage more in sedentary
lifestyle than their rural counterparts
Hypothesis 2: there is no significant difference in the importance of
physical activity or exercise in the reduction of health problems associated
with sedentary lifestyle.
Table 2: Chi—square showing the relationship between health problems
and sedentary lifestyle or ;physical inactivity of the people of Kaduna state.
Question
Yes
%
1. Do you participate in 1160 85.9
physical exercise
No
156
%
No
%
Response
11.6 34
2.5
Total
1350
X2
2. Do you experience
any of these
difficulties due to
physical activities?
a. High blood
pressure
b. Cardiovascular
disease
c. Obesity and over
weight
d. Diabetes and
cancer related
diseases.
e. Depression
anxiety and
uneasiness
f. All of the above
g. Others
h. No response
Total
256
52
220
79
249
44
31
419
1350
Table 2 showed that the calculated x2 value of 57.64 is greater than the
critical value of 23.68 at 0.05 alpha level; of significance. Therefore, the null
hypothesis that says that health problems suffered by the people of Kaduna
state are not significantly related to their physical inactivity or sedentary
lifestyle is rejected. This implies that health problems suffered by the
people of Kaduna state are significantly related to their sedentary lifestyle
of physical activity.
Summary of findings
1. Urban people of Kaduna state engage more in sedentary lifestyle than
their rural count7erparts
2. Health problems suffered by the people of Kaduna state are significantly
related to their sedentary lifestyle of physical activity.
Discussion
The finding that significant difference exists between rural and urban
people in their sedentary lifestyle is no unexpected as Adesina (1990)
and Mensik, et al (1997) postulated that environment is considered a
crucial factor in the health and well being of the individual, he was of
the opinion that physical and social environment play a decisive role in
the individuals choice of lifestyle factor. Thus ,individuals in the urban
area are likely to drink more alcohol, smoke more cigarettes and engage
in more sedentary lifestyle in other to deal with stress occasioned by
both physical and social environment.
WHO (1993) also reported an associated between lifestyle and
environmental problems occasioned by unhealthy lifestyle like physical
activity, alcoholism , unprotected and indiscriminate sexual practices in
the environment, with more than 70% recorded in cities in Great Britain,
Portugal, Sweden, USA, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria.
Corroborating the relationship between one’s place of abode and
sedentary lifestyle Alemu and Lindtjorn, (1995) reported that rural
population rely upon foot walk as a means of transportation and often
have intense agricultural actives, and manual work as their main
occupation , while there is reduction in physical activities with urban
lifestyle. Technological and communication advancement does not help
matter s among the residence in the urban area of Kaduna state. The
use of automobiles, telephone facilities. Mobile phone, air conditioners,
(in the car, and at home), household technological gadgets has
substantially increase the sedentary lifestyle or urban residents in the
state.
The result has also revealed that health problems suffered by the
people of the state are significantly related to their lifestyle or physical
activity. The finding is n agreement wit the report of Ogunbiyi (2002)
and Sheu (2005) both found a significant relationship between disease
conditions suffered and the lifestyles of rural and urban women in the
state. On the relationship between health problems and sedentary
lifestyle or physical activity, Dishman and Sheu (1994) submitted that
sedentary lifestyle contributes significantly to the occurrence of obesity,
cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and premature
mortality.
Table 2 of this study revealed that respondents in Kaduna state agreed
that lack of physical activity or sedentary lifestyle is responsible for cases
of high blood pressure (95), cardiovascular diseases (3.9%) diabetes and
cancer related diseases (5.9%); depression , anxiety and uneasiness’
(18.4%);, and overweight (16.3%)
Conclusion
Lifestyle is the sum of one’s way of life. It is a reflection of what he
does and what he fails to do which may include smoking, overrating ,
inactivity, alcoholism, drug abuse and sexual practice. This study
focused on the sedentary lifestyle of rural and urban people of Kaduna
state and the need for exercise. It therefore concluded that the use of
mobile phones, automobile s, air-conditioners and household
technological gadgets in the urban areas has substantially increased the
sedentary lifestyle in the area, especially in the urban area. Their
counterparts in the rural areas on the other hand depend largely on
foot walk and bicycling as their major means of transportation. They
also engage in agricultural activities and manual works as their main
occupation thus provide substantial opportunities for the rural people to
engage in physical activity and reduces the incidence of obesity,
hypertension, overweight, stroke and cardiovascular disease that are
common among sedentary individuals in urban areas. It could also be
concluded from the study that health problems as enumerated above
suffered by the people of Kaduna state are significantly related by the
people of Kaduna state are significantly related to their sedentary
lifestyle or physical inactivity.
Recommendation
Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations are
made:
1. Public health education should be interested to improve people’s
awareness of the consequences of unhealthy lifestyle i.e. sedentary
lifestyle, with the sole aim of encouraging them to participate in
physical activity that will improve health status.
2. Optimal affluence lifestyle should be discourage through public
health education in other to reduce health problems like obesity,
hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases common among urban
residents of Kaduna state.
3. The Kaduna state government should make provision for more
recreation facilities for the promotion and maintenance of positive
lifestyle for the people of the state including the rural communities.
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