Body fat and risk of cardiovascular diseases among the Tamil school teachers in Kuala Selangor, Selangor

Gunathevan Elumalai

Abstract

This quantitative survey aims to measure the overall body fat, BMI, abdominal fat and the risk of cardiovascular diseases among 60 Tamil school teachers from Kuala Selangor District, Selangor. The subjects voluntarily participated in this study. The total body fat, Body Mass Index (BMI) and abdominal fat were measured using Omron Karada Scanner, meanwhile PACER test was used to measure cardiovascular endurance. The descriptive analysis showed, 71.67% Tamil school teachers from Kuala Selangor were found to be in the category of excessive body fat and obese. BMI levels, showed that 26.68% were overweight, 48.33% teachers were in level pre-obese till to obese stage III. Abdominal fat levels showed that 70% teachers were at risk. While only 20% of them having good cardiovascular fitness. The inferential analysis showed that there were significant differences in overall body fat and cardiovascular endurance between male and female subjects but BMI and abdominal fat levels showed no significant difference between male and female subjects. The findings indicated that most of the Tamil school teachers in Kuala Selangor District having high risk of cardiovascular diseases. They should do regular physical activity and consume balanced diet to reduce the risk of body fat and obesity which cause the cardiovascular diseases.

References

[1] Chandrasekharan Nair Kesavachandran The normal range of body mass index with high body fat percentage among male residents of Lucknow City in north India, Indian J. Med Res., 2012, 135, 72-77 [2] Gunathevan, E., Norkhalid, S, Izwan, S. Mohanasundar, S, Dinesh, C. (2014). The Obesity Level And Abdominal Fat Among A Rural Tamil School Students in Malaysia. Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris. Best Journal., 2014, 2(1), 12-18 [3] K. Umamaheswari*, Y. Dhanalakshmi, S. Karthik, Nitin Ashok John and Rehena Sultana, Effect of Exercise Intensity on Body Composition in Overweight and Obese Individuals. Indian Journal of Physiol Pharmacol, 2017, 61(1), 58-64 [4] Ministry of Health, National Health Morbidity Survey Report, (NHMS II), 2006, 4-13 [5] Ministry of Health, National Health Morbidity Survey Report, (NHMS III), 2011, 6-15 [6] Ministry of Health, National Health Morbidity Survey Report, (NHMS IV) 2015, 8-20 [7] McArdle, D.M. Katch, F.I. and Katch, V.L. Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance. (4 th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott. Williams and Wilkins, 1996. [8] Mascherini,G, Giannelli, C, Ghelarducci, G, Degl’innocenti, S, Petri. C, & Galanti. G. Active lifestyle promotion with home-based exercise in breast cancer Survivors, 2017, 12(1), 119-128 [9] Santu Dhara & Kallol Chatterjee, A study of VO²max in relation with body mass index (BMI) of physical education students. Research Journal of Physical Education Sciences, 2015,3(6), 9-12 [10] Schmidt, S., Tittlbach, S., Bös, K. & Woll, A. 2017. doi:10.1155/2017/1785217 [11] WHO, Obesity : preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. Report of WHO Consultation on Obesity. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1998. [12] WHO, Expert consultation. Appropriate body mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2004. [13] WHO, Obesity : preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. Report of WHO Consultation on Obesity. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2010. [14] WHO, World Health Statistic 2014. World Health Organization. Geneva, 2014