New research released on physical activity amongst Barbadians

THE Healthy Caribbean Coalition (HCC) has publicly commended Christina Howitt and Miriam Alvarado, Lecturer and Research Assistant respectively at the Chronic Disease Research Centre University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, for their new research on physical activity in Barbados.

 

The results of the research were recently unveiled at a public lecture and discussion entitled “Physical Activity: Why We All Plan to Start ‘Tomorrow’”. The findings suggest that the vast majority of Barbadians – four out of 10 men and an alarming nine out of 10 women – get too little exercise and this is having severe consequences for the health of the nation.

 

Ms. Howitt, also the local lead on the Barbados Health of the Nation Study (HoTN), also launched her new evidence brief, which highlighted startling findings on levels of physical activity in Barbados.

 

The recently launched “Levels of Physical Activity in Adult Barbadians Evidence Brief” also indicates that over half the population spends over eight hours a day sitting or lying down, excluding time spent sleeping.

 

“Barbadians reported spending an average of 2 1/2 hours watching TV and one hour on the computer outside of work every day. Similar to other parts of the world, we found that physical activity decreases with age. In the Barbadian population, we found that socially advantaged groups, in terms of education and job type, are the least active. Almost two-thirds of Barbadians consider themselves to be sufficiently active, but do not get enough activity according to objective measurements. Two-thirds of all activity takes place at work, with one-fifth taking place during recreation,” Howitt noted in the brief.

 

“Public health programmes to increase activity and reduce time spent sitting are needed urgently for much of the population,” it added.

 

Ms. Howitt then discussed options to improve levels of physical activity among the Barbadian public, including through the enhancement of physical spaces for such activity.

 

The second part of the lecture featured Miriam Alvarado, Fulbright Scholar, currently pursuing her PhD studies at Cambridge University. Alvarado shared her qualitative research, which sought to explore why Barbadian women are not getting sufficient physical activity. Alvarado’s work followed 17 diverse women and examined the motivating factors behind women’s decisions to engage in physical activity. Alvarado also shared some of the successes of her Get Women Moving Campaign – a community-based initiative supported in part by the HCC, which has seen over 500 women benefit from community exercise in just months.

 

“The HCC applauds the Faculty of Medical Sciences on this excellent lecture and congratulates the speakers and the panel on their research,” the Healthy Caribbean Coalition has noted. (RSM)