Research Article
Manmohan Yadav,1 Vadlamudi Siddarth,2 Vishal Chauhan,3 Anju Gahlot4
1,2,3MBBS Student, Rama Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, 4Prof Department of Community Medicine, RMCHRC, Kanpur.
Submitted: 18 June 2024; Accepted: 28 June 2024; Published: 29 June 2024
Corresponding Author: Vishal Chauhan, MBBS Student, Rama Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Kanpur. Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Background: Alcohol use and physical inactivity are major risk factors for noncommunicable diseases. Adequate physical activity keeps one healthy, but a sedentary lifestyle may contribute to other unhealthy practices like Alcohol use. They address them more strategically.
Objectives: To assess the level of physical activity and identify its association with Alcohol use among college-going youth at Rama University, Kanpur.
Material & Methods: Data on physical activity and Alcohol use were collected from students aged 18-24 studying medical and non-medical courses at Rama University through an online questionnaire. We used a self-modified questionnaire based on the Global Adult Alcohol Survey (GATS) to assess Alcohol use status and the GPAQ (Global Physical Activity Questionnaire) to assess physical activity.
Results: The chance of consuming Alcohol is significantly lower among physically active respondents.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate a significant relationship between physical activity and Alcohol use among youth. Promotion of physical activity may be a useful educational tool for reducing Alcohol use.
Introduction
Alcohol use is an important modifiable risk factor for major non-communicable diseases NCDs [1]. Globally, more than 1.1 billion people use Alcohol, which is significantly more common among males than females. This alarming number represents about one-third of the global population aged 15 years and above [2]. The problem is of particular concern in India, where tobacco-related mortality is highest. According to the Global Adult Alcohol Survey 2016-17, current Alcohol users in India among youth aged 15-24 years is 12.4% [3.4]. People who start using Alcohol at an early age are more likely to develop serious health complications [5].
According to the ICMR-INDIAB study, 54.4% of the Indian population surveyed were found to be physically inactive [6]. Recently, India’s performance was fairly poor in the concurrent preparation of Report Cards on the physical activity of children and youth in 38 world countries [7].
Growing evidence reveals a bidirectional relationship between Alcohol use and physical activity. Another systematic review shows that exercise seems to have a protective effect against smoking as well as a supportive impact on smoking cessation treatments[8].
Aims and Objective
This study assesses the relationship between tobacco use and physical activity among college-going youth at Rama University, Kanpur.
MATERIAL&METHODS
Study Type: Cross-sectional study.
Study Population: A college-based survey was conducted among the youth population.
StudyArea: RamaUniversity, Kanpur.
PeriodofStudy:01October,2023 to 28 October, 2023[4Weeks]
SampleSize: 200
Sampling Method: Simple Random Method
inclusion criteria:
- Collegegoing students from 18 years up to 24 years.
- Those present at the time of data collection.
exclusion criteria:
- The students who didn’t give consent for participation in study. Students with age below 18 years and 24 years and above.
Strategy for collection: All students were divided into two strata – Medical & Non-Medical. The field investigator (FI)visited the students and explained the needs, objectives, and methodology for the study. Then a google form was shared among the students. The respondents were briefed up about the study objectives and were encouraged to clarify doubts before or during filling up the questionnaire. No names or emails were collected to maintain the anonymity of the respondents. We used a self-modified questionnaire based on the Global Adult Alcohol Survey (GATS) for assessing Alcohol use status and GPAQ (Global Physical Activity Questionnaire) for assessment of physical activity.
RESULTS
The study included 200 students aged 18-24 from medical and non-medical courses. The majority were males (72.5%). Current alcohol users were 13%, and least physical activity was observed in 27.5%. [Table1] The socio-demographic profile along with Alcohol use and level of physical activity of respondents is shown in [Table-1]
The relationship between physical activity and Alcohol use among youth [Table] shows that non-alcohol users were physically more active (moderately active, 58.6%
+veryactive,15.5%=74.1%) compared to Alcohol users (moderately active, 34.6% + very active, 26.9% = 61.5%). The inactivity level was higher among Alcohol users (38.4%) as compared to non-alcohol users (25.8%).
The relationship between Gender and Alcohol use [Table 4] shows that there were more Alcohol users in males (69.4%) as compared to females (30.6%).
Gender: Do You Want to Quit alcohol to enhance your physical activities?
How much time has passed since you started consuming alcohol? Have you noticed a reduction in your physique or stamina due to consuming alcohol?
| TABLE 1: SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHICPROFILEOFCOLLEGEGOINGYOUTHOFRAMAUNIVERSITY, KANPUR | |||
| Variable | Number(N=200) | % | |
| Male | 112 | 56.5% | |
| Gender | Female | ||
| 88 | 43.5% | ||
| 18-20 | 104 | 52.5% | |
| Age Group(years) | 21-22 | 54 | 27.% |
| 23-24 | 42 | 21.5% | |
| Non-Alcoholusers | 170 | 85% | |
| Alcohol Use(Present) | Alcoholusers | ||
| 30 | 15% | ||
| Alcohol Use(Past) | Non-Alcohol users | 166 | 83% |
| [Last consumption of | |||
| Alcohol>1year back] | Alcohol users | 34 | 17% |
| Not so Active | 55 | 27.5% | |
| Physical Activity Level | Moderately Active | 109 | 54.5% |
| Very Active | 36 | 18% | |
| TABLE 2: RELATIONSHIPOFPHYSICALACTIVITYANDALCOHOLUSEAMONGYOUTH | |||
| Physical ActivityLevel | Non-Alcohol users(N=170) | Alcohol users(N=30) | |
| Numbers % | Numbers | % | |
| NotsoActive | 44 22% | 12 | 6% |
| Moderately Active | 100 50% | 10 | 5% |
| VeryActive | 26 13% | 8 | 4% |
| TABLE 3: RELATIONSHIP OF GENDER AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY | |||||
| Gender | PhysicalActivityLevel | ||||
| Not so Active (N=55) | Moderately Active (N=109) | Very Active(N=36) | |||
| Numbers % | Numbers | % | Numbers | % | |
| Male | 44 80% | 76 | 69.7% | 25 | 69.4% |
| Female | 11 20% | 33 | 30.3% | 11 | 30.6% |
| TABLE 4: RELATIONSHIPOFGENDERANDALCOHOLUSE | |||
| Gender Male Female | Non-Alcohol users (N=174) | Alcohol users(N=26) | |
| Numbers % | Numbers | % | |
| 98 57.6% | 22 | 83.4% | |
| 72 42.4% | 8 | 26.6% | |
DISCUSSION
The present study was an attempt to assess the level of physical activity and its relationship with Alcohol use. We found that almost one-fourth of the participants were physically inactive, and almost one-fourth of the participants were exposed to tobacco. Both these variables showed significant inverse associations in the study.
Another finding observed in the study was a significant difference in physical activity levels among males and females, with females showing lower odds of involvement in physical activity. Other studies have reported higher physical activity levels in males than females[9].
The significant inverse relationship between Alcohol use and physical activity observed in our study is supported by several studies, including those conducted in 21 countries of Europe and in the United States, where a lower likelihood of smoking was associated with regular physical exercise (9). A study conducted in India showed an increased prevalence of smoking among individuals who didn’t exercise in their leisure time as compared to individuals who did exercise in their leisure time[10].
Coclusion & Reccomendation
The TheoverallprevalenceofAlcoholusesamongcollegegoingyouthwas17%with significantly more among males, and the level of physical inactivity was 27.5%.
The incorporation of interventions related to physical activity in the community and various settings (schools, offices) should be promoted to reduce health risk behavior, including Alcohol use. Regular physical activity and counseling for discouraging Alcohol use should be integrated with the academic curriculum of schools and colleges, which will help us achieve Goal 3 of Sustainable Development Goal2030, i.e., Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages [11].
REFERENCES
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- Global Adult Alcohol Survey (GAAS-2) India Highlights. World Health Organisation, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, TISS; 2017.
- Preventing Alcohol use among youth and young adults: A report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health. 2012;3.
- Anjana RM, Pradeepa R, Das AK, Deepa M, Bhansali A, Joshi SR, et al. Physical activity and inactivity patterns in India– results from the ICMR- INDIAB study (Phase-1) [ICMR-INDIAB5]. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2014;11(1):26.
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- Steptoe AWJ, Fuller R, Holte A, Justo J, Sanderman R, etal. Leisure-time physical exercise: prevalence, attitudinal correlates, and behavioral correlates among young Europeans from 21 countries. Preventive Medicine 1997; 26:845-54
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Level of Physical Activity and Relationship with Alcohol Use Among Youth: A Cross-sectional Survey in Rama University
Manmohan Yadav,1 Vadlamudi Siddarth,2 Vishal Chauhan,3 Anju Gahlot4
1,2,3MBBS Student, Rama Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, 4Prof Department of Community Medicine, RMCHRC, Kanpur.
Corresponding Author: Vishal Chauhan, MBBS Student, Rama Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Kanpur. Email: [email protected]
- Acknowledgment: We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our project supervisor, Dr. Anju Gahlot, for their invaluable guidance and support throughout the research process. Their expertise and dedication were instrumental in shaping this project. Their advice and valuable feedback enriched our work and made this project a joyful and pleasant experience. We would like to express our gratitude to Dr Anju Gahlot, HOD of Community Medicine, for giving us the opportunity to collaborate on the project Level of physical activity and its relationship with Alcohol use among youth: across-sectional survey in Rama University. We sincerely thank Dr B. K. Prasad, Principal of Rama Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Kanpur, for providing us with the environment and encouragement to conduct our research. Additionally, we would like to extend our appreciation to our classmates for their constructive feedback. We would also like to appreciate all the respondents who willingly participated for contributing valuable data for our project. Lastly, we would like to congratulate ourselves on collaborating, enduring, and enjoying this project. It was a fun learning experience, and each of us played a significant role in shaping the outcome.
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- Conflict of Interest Statement
All the authors declared “No Conflict of Interest” with this publication.
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This open-access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0., which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- DOI: 10.62996/daj.06072024
- Cite this Article
Manmohan Yadav,1 Vadlamudi Siddarth,2 Vishal Chauhan,3 Anju Gahlot4. Level of Physical Activity and Relationship with Alcohol Use Among Youth: A cross-sectional study.Diabetes Asia Journal. 2024;1(1):41-47. https://doi.org/10.62996/daj.06072024
By HealthTepi – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70810122
