Physical Activity Measured by Pedometer in a Peri-Urban Mozambican Population

This study was performed to describe physical activity behavior and its demographic associations in a peri-urban population from Mozambique, using device-based data.

Physical activity was assessed by pedometers in a sample of 15- to 64-year-old subjects from Maputo, Mozambique. Participants wore a pedometer for 7 consecutive days, and physical inactivity was classified using a variety of approaches: sedentary (<5000 steps/d), physically inactive (<7500 steps/d), and no moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA < 1 min/d).

The percentage of sedentary subjects was 17.8%, and the percentage who were physically inactive was 41.8%. A total of 9.0% of participants participated in no MVPA (<1 min/d). Logistic regression analysis showed that females had a higher odds of being sedentary or inactive and having no MVPA compared with males. Unemployed participants were more sedentary and inactive than those who were employed. Socioeconomic status and body mass index did not show any significant association with physical activity.

Findings suggest that physical activity levels of this peri-urban African city population are insufficient relative to the amount of activity recommended to improve health. Moreover, being sedentary and inactive was associated with occupation and gender but not with other sociodemographic characteristics and body mass index.