Physical inactivity level and lipid profile in traditional communities in the Legal Amazon: a cross-sectional study

Background The practice of regular physical activity can alter the lipid profile in populations according to diverse demographic characteristics. Objective To evaluate the association of physical inactivity with the lipid profile among vulnerable populations. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 349 vulnerable individuals from Tocantins state, northern Brazil. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire 7 Day short form was used to measure self-reported physical activity levels. Venous blood samples were drawn to evaluate lipid profile. Logistic regression adjusted by the socioeconomic variables was used to analyse the effects of physical inactivity on the lipidic profile. The level of significance was 5% and Stata® (StataCorp, LC) version 11 was used. Results We observe an inverse relationship between physical inactivity and HDL-C—that is, those who were sedentary or below the WHO Recommendations for physical activity were at 2.6 greater odds (IC95% 1.21, 5.67; p = 0.015) of having a lower HDL compared with those meeting or exceeding WHO physical activity recommendations. Conclusion On the vulnerable populations studied, the insufficiently active or sedentary individuals (called the physical inactivity individuals) have more risk of the altered HDL-C.