Physical activity levels in Bangladeshi adults: results from STEPS survey 2010

Objectives Physical inactivity is an established risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCD) and identified as the major public health concern worldwide. However, nationally representative and internationally comparable data on physical activity (PA) are lacking in Bangladesh. The objective of this paper was to determine nationally representative prevalence of PA levels among Bangladeshi adults. Study design Cross-sectional survey. Methods Data, on PA for this paper, were analysed from the NCD risk factors survey 2010 in Bangladesh. A standardized approach known as STEPS (STEPSwise approach to Surveillance for NCD risk factors) was followed for this survey. A total of 9275 adults (aged ≥ 25 years) were interviewed. Data on PA were processed and analysed according to Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) version…