Physical Activity Level Of Brazilian State Community Running a Physical Activity Intervention Program

Introduction
São Paulo State is the most industrialized region in Brazil, more than 37 million inhabitants. In 1996 the Health State
Secretariat launched a physical activity (PA) promotion program named "Agita São Paulo" as mean of maintaining,
recovering and improving health of the population[1]. It represents a multilevel intervention approach in a "mobile
management"of the ecological model [2]. With the main objective to evaluate the impact of the strategies, the Program
determines the PA level of the State’s population each year since 2000.
Purpose: to compare the PA level of the population reached by a PA intervention Program (Agita São Paulo) in two
consecutive years (2002 and 2003), representing the 6th and 7th year of the program.

Methods
4001 subjects were evaluated in 2002 (n:2000), 2003 (2001) by a professional group, with long tradition in surveillance.
Sample was randomised by sex, age, and socio-economic status. Males and females over 18 years of age living in Sao
Paulo Metropolitan Region were submitted to a home-interview, and answered questions related to frequency and
duration of walking, moderate and vigorous physical activities, using The International PA Questionnaire- IPAQ.
Active people were considered anyone who participated in recommended physical activity (moderate physical activity
or walking performed at least for 30 minutes per day, 5 times a week; and/or vigorous physical activity at least 20
minutes, 3 times per week). Very active were considered anyone who took more than 5 times/wk of moderate PA
and/or more than 3 times/wk of vigorous PA. Inactive people were considered the ones that reported any involvement
with PA in the usual or last week, and irregularly active who were not inactive but that did not reach the PA
recommendation. Statistical analysis used was Chi-square test, and significance level adopted was p<.05.

Results
Prevalence (%) of inactive, irregular active, active and very active people in 2002 and 2003:

Discussion/Conclusion
To decrease sedentariness and at same time to increase physical activity is a quite high challenge, but the level of
difficulty and complexity becomes even higher if one considers to do that in a mega-population state. Current data
showing a decline in absolute values of 5% in inactive and 5% in irregularly active people, representing a combining
decrease of 10% in insufficiently active; and an increase in absolute values of 4% in active and of 6% in very active
people, giving an increase of 10% in sufficiently active people, in a period of one year. Besides the usual multi-level
approach adopted by Agita, the repercussion of World Health Day (Agita Mundo/Move for Health celebration) and a
long-term effect (6th and 7th year of intervention) might explain the high impact in a quite short period. Present findings
support the efficacy of Agita Program in promoting active living and declining sedentariness.

References:
[1]. Matsudo SMM, Matsudo VKR, Araújo TL, Andrade DR, Andrade EL, Oliveira LC, Braggion GF. The Agita São
Paulo Program as a model for using physical activity to promote health. Pan Am J Public Health 2003;14(4):265-272
[2], [3]. Matsudo V, Guedes J, Matsudo S, Andrade D, Araujo T, Oliveira L, Andrade E, Braggion G and Ribeiro M.
Policy intervention: the experience of Agita São Paulo in using the "mobile management" of the ecological model.
Perspective 2004 in press.

NOTA: O texto com a iconografia está no anexo

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