Physical Activity and Its Association with Non-Communicable Diseases: Findings of A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Bangladesh

Authors

  • Md Ziaul Islam Professor and Head, Department of Community Medicine, Director, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5582-2402
  • Syeda Sumaiya Efa Lecturer, Department of Public Health Informatics, Bangladesh Medical University (BMU)
  • Ifrat Jahan Mousome Research Fellow, Department of Community Medicine, National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM)
  • Sharmin Farjana Assistant Professor (In situ), Obstetrics and Gynecology, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/jopsom.v44i2.89234

Keywords:

Physical activity, Prevalence, Risk factor, Non-communicable disease, Population-based, Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Low physical activity is a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The present study aimed to assess physical activity and its association with NCDs in the context of Bangladesh.

Methods: The study was a population-based cross-sectional study. We used the data generated by the country-wide survey conducted in Bangladesh in 2018. The survey was conducted using 496 primary sampling units developed by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. Following the step-wise approach of the World Health Organization, the survey enrolled 8185 participants aged 18-69 years using a multi-stage sampling technique. The study conducted a face-to-face interview with Global Physical Activity Questionnaire to collect data on physical activity.

Results: The average duration of physical activity was 244.8 minutes per day, while the median duration was 128.6 minutes. The prevalence of low physical activity was 12.6%, and it was higher among the participants aged 55-69 years (19.5%), women (14.7%), and urban dwellers (14.3%). Low physical activity was also higher (17.7%) among the participants with more than secondary level education. Participants with low physical activity were 1.36 times (OR=1.36, ρ=0.006) more likely to have diabetes mellitus, 1.53 times (OR=1.53, ρ<0.001) more likely to have hypertension, 1.58 times (OR=1.58, ρ<0.001) more likely to have dyslipidemia, and 1.18 times (OR=1.18, ρ=0.020) more likely to have obesity than those without low physical activity.

Conclusion: Country-wide programs and interventions for promoting physical activity are essential to reduce the burden of NCDs in a developing country like Bangladesh.

JOPSOM 2025; 44(2): 5-12

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Published

2026-06-04

How to Cite

Islam, M. Z., Syeda Sumaiya Efa, Ifrat Jahan Mousome, & Sharmin Farjana. (2026). Physical Activity and Its Association with Non-Communicable Diseases: Findings of A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Bangladesh. Journal of Preventive and Social Medicine, 44(2), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.3329/jopsom.v44i2.89234

Issue

Vol. 44 No. 2 (2025)

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Md Ziaul Islam, Syeda Sumaiya Efa, Ifrat Jahan Mousome, Sharmin Farjana

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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