Potential health gain by developing a physical activity session in rural settings

Background: Insufficient physical activity leading to lifestyle disease, one of the major challenges of the 21st Century. India is a country of diversity and inequality. Inequality still prevails as in the metro cities with the mushrooming of fitness centers; increased physical activity as compared to the past. Whereas, this practice is much less in the district levels and absent in the rural settings. The social stigma and pre-conceived notions of rural people leads to a culture where regular exercise is not a part of daily life!

Objective: Developing regular physical activity session and make it accessible to the rural people so that a behavior modification could be achieved for better health gain.

Study Design: Community awareness on physical activity in 8 villages of Birbhum district followed by participation in closely monitored physical activity session of one year of the willing people. FBS, ALT, AST of the participants were measured before and after the intervention.

Result: Out of 449 participants in the awareness program, 60% agreed to do exercise. After one year it is observed that 50% of those people continuing exercise schedule amongst which 78% is doing regular (5 days /week) while the rest backed out. Prevalence of High FBS, ALT, AST were found to be 11.5 %, 11.5 % & 5.8 % before exercise program, reduced to 9.6 %, 3.8 %, & 1.9 % respectively after one year.

Conclusion: Access to physical activity session can attract rural people even, evidence of improved outcomes can motivate further in behavior modification.