LEVEL OF HABITUAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND CARDIAC RISK OF DOCTORS IN THE REGION OF CARIRI-CE, BRAZIL

Abstract

SUMMARY: The risks to our health from a sedentary lifestyle has become a worldwide problem to public health. This study aimed to observe the levels of habitual physical activity( LHPA), lifestyle(LS) and cardiac risk(CR) of doctors in the region of Cariri - CE. It is characterized as field, transversal line, quantitative and descriptive research. The sample was composed by 29 doctors, being 17 men and 12 women, chosen at random selection among institutions of health in the region of Cariri - Ceará. The used instruments included the Questionnaire LHPA, translated of Russel R. Pate and cited in Nahas (2001) and the Control of Cardiac Risk (modified of Pollock; Wilmore, 1993). For the analysis of these datas, the program SPSS 13.0 was used. The results had demonstrated that regard to the LHPA that, 65.5% of the searched doctors are inactive, 20.7% moderately active and 13.8% active; As regards to the cardiac risk classification, it was verified that 82.76% are intermediate cardiac risk, 10.34% are low and 3,45% high and imminent. Analyzing the relation of LHPA and CR, were observed among the inactive ones that, 84.2% are intermediate risk and 5.3% low, high and imminent risk; Among the moderately active ones, 83.3% are intermediate risk and 16.7% low risk; Among the actives, 75% had presented intermediate risk and 25% low risk. One perceives that the behaviors with bigger degree of association to the cardiac risk are praised in relation to the components of the physical activity, preventive behavior (3 answers for each), and relationships (1 reply). Conclusion: the participants of the research are predispose to an increase in the predisposition to cardiac risk, occurring a trend in the direction from intermediate to high and imminent risk, and being the physical activity and the preventive behaviors, factors which are the most associated to it.