Deborah Hilton
Deborah Hilton Statistics Online, Australia
Title: A summary of the research evidence that reports on the benefits of exercise and physical activity programs mostly from a population health perspective including details from the ABS on physical activity participation rates?
Biography
Biography: Deborah Hilton
Abstract
Physical activity (PA) is important for general health and wellbeing. Inadequate exercise is a risk factor for a number of health conditions, while engaging in PA is beneficial for various medical conditions. Hilton and colleagues’ publication in 2002, analyzed data retrospectively from the general-practice based Australian diabetes screening study. Prevalence estimates for undiagnosed diabetes using the American (ADA), Australian (ADS) and WHO criteria were 9.4%, 16.0%, and 18.1% respectively. A publication by Koye et al. [2017] that analyzed data from the Australian diabetes, obesity and lifestyle [AusDiab] study reported that in older Australians, diabetes more than doubled the odds of reporting disability at 12 years with body mass index and cardiometabolic factors accounting for much of the relationship. Hence interventions that target weight control may prevent disability and promote health as people age. A systematic review on the PEDro website by Richardson et al. that reviewed pedometer based walking programs and weight loss found that these programs result in a modest amount of weight loss with longer programs being more effective. Hilton assessed knowledge, usage and acceptability of fitness trackers in 2016 when she conducted a survey. Eight different trackers, pedometers, apps or websites were included and 100 surveys were sent out with seventy returned. The Fitbit was the most known about and utilized fitness tracker. Systematic reviews on the PEDro website report that PA and exercise are beneficial for low back pain prevention for improving pain and functional status in people with knee or hip osteoarthritis and for chronic pain in adults. This presentation will also highlight Australian Health Survey findings reporting that approximately one in four children, less than one in ten teenagers, and only one in five adults reach the required number of steps/day.
Recent Publications
- Hilton D J (2016) The global children’s challenge program; pedometer step count in an Australian school. International Journal of Social, Behavioral, Educational, Economic, Business and Industrial Engineering. 10(2): 588-591.
- Hilton DJ (2014) Computational methods in official statistics with an example on calculating and predicting diabetes mellitus [DM] prevalence in different age groups within Australia in future years, in light of the aging population. International Journal of Mathematical, Computational, Physical and Quantum Engineering 8(10): 1208-1212.
- Kabra S K, Lodha R, Hilton D J (2008) Antibiotics for preventing complications in children with measles. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001477.pub3.
- Hilton D, Reid C, Paratz J (2006) An under-used yet easily understood statistic: the number needed to treat. Physiotherapy; 92(4): 239-245.
- Rosenfeldt F, Hilton D, Pepe S, Krum H (2003) Systematic review of effect of coenzyme Q10 in physical exercise, hypertension and heart failure. Biofactors 18(1-4): 91-100.