Effectiveness of a Community Based Health Promotional Intervention to Improve Physical Activity among Women in a Rural Village from Vavuniya,Sri Lanka

Abstract

Physical inactivity is a public health issue and this study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a community based health promotional intervention to improve physical activity among sample of women in a rural village. This community-based health promotional intervention, designed and conducted based on participatory action research-design conducted in Poothoddam village among a random sample of fifty eligible women of 30-55 years was assessed using the pre-post assessment in comparison to a control group in Puthukkulam. Going by the principles of participatory action research model, the intervention structure was mutually designed with the women in the intervention group. The determinants of physical inactivity were jointly identified and prioritized. Intervention was implemented over 4 months, as a series of discussions and activity sessions in small groups. The level of physical activity was measured using Tamil version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire short version previously validated to Sri Lanka. Reduction in the physically inactive category in the intervention group was significant (p<0.05) while the reduction in the control group was not (p>0.05). The community based health promotional intervention was effective in improving physical activity. The study recommends scaling up of this intervention to women in rural communities