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RESEARCH PAPER
Influence of daily physical activity and Body Mass Index on the incidence and severity of injuries during hiking – retrospective analysis of a cross-sectional Questionnaire Survey
1
WSB Merito University, Gdańsk, Poland
2
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University, Gdańsk, Poland
3
Department of Immunobiology and Environment Microbiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University, Gdańsk, Poland
4
Physiotherapy Graduate, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University, Gdańsk, Poland
5
Department of History and Philosophy of Medical Sciences, Medical University, Gdańsk, Poland
6
Division of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University, Gdańsk, Poland
7
II Department of Orthopaedics and Kinetic Organ Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University, Gdańsk, Poland
8
Department of Physical Rehabilitation Medicine, Medical University, Łódź, Poland
These authors had equal contribution to this work
Corresponding author
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
Prevention of occupational diseases in agriculture, forestry, food industry and wood industryState of the health of rural communities depending on various factors: social factors, accessibility of medical care, etc.
ABSTRACT
Introduction and objective:
Hiking is becoming an increasingly popular leisure activity, practised due to its benefits, often regardless of people’s exercise capacity and Body Mass Index (BMI) values. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the level of daily physical activity and BMI, as well as the incidence and severity of injuries experienced during hiking.
Material and methods:
A total of 230 individuals fulfilled completed questionnaire forms. Questionnaires were distributed via Google form between 15 January 2021 and 23 February 2021. A modified Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) and BMI values were used to check how the hikers’ health and physical condition influenced the incidence and severity of trauma while hiking. 162 mountain hikers were included in the final analysis.
Results:
Using independence tests, it was shown that in the cases there was no relation between the created BMI categories and the occurrence of injury (p-value=0.708), or between physical activity groups and the occurrence of injury (p-value=1). The results also showed no statistically significant correlation between the severity of the injury sustained during hiking, or both daily physical activity level (p-value=0.754) and BMI value (p-value=0.854).
Conclusions:
The study might indicate that proper, adjusted hiking could be the correct way of spending free time, regardless of pre-existing levels of physical activity and/or BMI.
Hiking is becoming an increasingly popular leisure activity, practised due to its benefits, often regardless of people’s exercise capacity and Body Mass Index (BMI) values. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the level of daily physical activity and BMI, as well as the incidence and severity of injuries experienced during hiking.
Material and methods:
A total of 230 individuals fulfilled completed questionnaire forms. Questionnaires were distributed via Google form between 15 January 2021 and 23 February 2021. A modified Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) and BMI values were used to check how the hikers’ health and physical condition influenced the incidence and severity of trauma while hiking. 162 mountain hikers were included in the final analysis.
Results:
Using independence tests, it was shown that in the cases there was no relation between the created BMI categories and the occurrence of injury (p-value=0.708), or between physical activity groups and the occurrence of injury (p-value=1). The results also showed no statistically significant correlation between the severity of the injury sustained during hiking, or both daily physical activity level (p-value=0.754) and BMI value (p-value=0.854).
Conclusions:
The study might indicate that proper, adjusted hiking could be the correct way of spending free time, regardless of pre-existing levels of physical activity and/or BMI.
FUNDING
The study was co-financed from the State budget under the
programme of the Polish Minister of Education and Science
under the project ‘Excellent Science’ (Project No. DNK/
SP/548321/2022).
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