How physically active are South Asians in the United Kingdom? A literature review

BACKGROUND: Moderate physical activity is protective against coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes, both important public health problems among UK South Asian (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) ethnic groups. We assessed the evidence that physical activity is lower in South Asian groups than in the general population. METHODS: We carried out a systematic literature review of studies describing levels of physical activity and fitness in UK South Asians using MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane databases, hand searching of relevant journals and review of reference lists. RESULTS: We identified 12 studies in adults and five in children. Various methods were used to assess physical activity and fitness, but all the studies reported lower levels among South Asian groups. The differences were substantial, particularly…