Associations of quality of life with physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical inactivity in a fr
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RESEARCH
Open Access
Associations of quality of life with physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and physical inactivity in a free living, multiethnic population in Hawaii: a longitudinal study Weiwen Chai1*, Claudio R Nigg2, Ian S Pagano1, Robert W Motl3, Caroline Horwath4, Rod K Dishman5
Abstract Introduction: High intake of fruit and vegetables and being physically active are associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases. In the current study, we examined the associations of physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, and TV/video watching (indicator for physical inactivity) with perceived quality of life (QOL) in a sample of free living adults. Methods: A cohort (N = 139) from a random, multi-ethnic sample of 700 adults living in Hawaii was evaluated at 3-month intervals for the first year and 6-month intervals for the second year. QOL was assessed from self-reports of mental or physical health at the end of the study. Results: Overall, the cohort participants appeared to maintain relatively constant levels of physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, and TV/video watching. Physical activity was positively related to mental health (p-values < 0.05), but not physical health, at all time points regardless of participants’ fruit and vegetable consumption and hours of TV/video watching. Neither mental nor physical health was associated with fruit and vegetable intake or TV/video watching. Conclusion: Our study supports that physical activity is positively associated with mental health. Fruit and vegetable consumption and TV/video watching may be too specific to represent an individual’s overall nutritional status and physical inactivity, respectively.
Introduction High intake of fruit and vegetables and being physically active are associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancers [1-5]. Despite interventions to increase physical activity in the general population, only 30% of US adults aged 18 years or older are sufficiently active during their leisure time according to recent surveys [6]. National campaigns such as 5-A-Day have increased awareness of the health benefits associated with fruit and vegetables; however, the increase in consumption of these foods
* Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, University of Hawaii, (1236 Lauhala Street), Honolulu, (HI 96813), USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
has been relatively modest compared to the decrease in fat intake [7]. Quality of life (QOL), a conceptualization reflecting an individual’s physical and mental well-being, has emerged as an important consideration in disease treatment and prevention. Research on QOL and physical activity has predominantly focused on elderly populations or populations with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, pulmonary diseases, and cancer [1]. Although evidence consistently suggests a positive association between physical activity and QOL in these populations [
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