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Commentary
Objective measurement of physical activity: improving the evidence base to address non-communicable diseases in Africa
  1. Anna Louise Barr1,
  2. Elizabeth H Young1,2,
  3. Manjinder S Sandhu1,2
  1. 1 Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
  2. 2 Wellcome Sanger Institute, Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
  1. Correspondence to Dr Manjinder S Sandhu; ms23{at}sanger.ac.uk

https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001044

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    Summary box

    • Physical inactivity is one of the major modifiable risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

    • African countries, many of which are in the early stages of an emerging NCD epidemic, have the opportunity to reduce the financial and health burden of NCDs through the early implementation of prevention strategies that promote physical activity.

    • The design and success of physical activity promotion strategies requires an improved understanding of the physical activity patterns of African populations and their multiple determinants.

    • Integrating objective physical activity measurement devices within research and routine surveillance infrastructures in Africa would improve the quality, coverage and resolution of physical activity data on the continent and inform the design and implementation of effective policies and interventions for the local context.

    • This framework also permits the monitoring of population physical activity patterns and trends, as well as the evaluation of interventions at the individual and population level.

    Introduction

    The benefits of physical activity are wide ranging and associated with reduced disease risk and improved mental health. Strong evidence from high-income countries (HICs) has revealed a clear dose–response relationship between physical activity and improved health status. Regular physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, breast and colon cancer, depression and dementia.1 2 Similarly, in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), higher physical activity levels are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.3 Physical activity has also been associated with improved mental health outcomes and increased self-esteem, self-efficacy and social capital; however, the direction and strength of these relationships needs further investigation to fully understand the impact of physical activity on mental well-being.4

    Global burden of physical inactivity

    Guidelines on the total volume of physical activity required to reduce the risk of specific NCDs are imprecise; however, the WHO recommends …

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