Are the energy expenditures of household and garden chores of sufficient intensity to confer health benefits?

Funded Activity Summary

Participation in regular moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity reduces risk for cardiovascular disease, non-insulin dependent diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. Recent epidemiological recommendations are that 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity (e.g. brisk walking at 4.8-6.4 km-hr) on most days is sufficient to confer these significant health benefits. However, many Australians spend substantial amounts of time engaged in household chores and gardening - yardwork activities but it is unknown whether the intensities of these activities are sufficient to confer the aforementioned health benefits. The aims of this study are therefore to: 1. Measure directly the energy cost of self-paced common household chores and gardening - yard activities. 2. Provide data that are required to estimate accurately the prevalence of 'adequate' levels of physical activity among adults. 3. Identify indirect methods (such as heart rate, motion and breathing frequency) which, in combination, are suitable for use in large scale surveys of activity levels. The outcomes of this study will be: 1. A greatly improved understanding of whether energy expenditure associated with self-paced household chores and gardening - yard activities is adequate to confer health benefits. 2. Our results will be used in key public health interventions which are aimed at modifying the physical activity levels of Australians. 3. If the public health message encourages some of the ~30% of sedentary Australians to undertake regular moderate intensity physical activity then this will: reduce the cost of the health care system, substantially reduce the premature loss of life and decrease morbidity and disability. 4. Our results will help public health epidemiologists to monitor the percentage of Australians who are adequately physically active.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2000

End Date: 01-01-2002

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $322,110.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Ophthalmology and optometry not elsewhere classified

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Energy expenditure during household chores and yardwork | Energy expenditure via indirect calorimetry | Health campaigns for improving habitual physical activity | Heart rate and motion sensor estimates of energy expenditure | Physical activity and health benefits | Prevalence of moderate physical activity for health benefits

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