Comparison of Body Perception and Physical Activity in People Aged 20 to 49 in the Year 2023

Abstract

Introduction: A total of 65% of the world's population (1) and 66% of the population of Costa Rica (2) there are levels of overweight and obesity and according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses of Costa Rica (INEC), people who have this condition are those who do not do physical activity or have a healthy and balanced diet. (3) . Goal: To compare body perception and physical activity in people aged 20 to 49 in 2023. Materials and methods: 50 people aged between 20 and 49 years of both sexes from areas far from and close to the capital of Costa Rica, these subjects being 10 from the canton of Goicoechea, 10 from the canton of Desamparados, 10 from the canton of Mora, 10 from the canton of Sarapiquí and 10 from the Pérez Zeledón canton, 5 from the districts of San Isidro de El General and another 5 from San Pedro; who participated voluntarily and anonymously by filling out an electronic survey built in Google Forms and taking anthropometric measurements by specialist personnel. Data was collected from July 22 to 27, 2023. Results: A total of 38% of the participants present body distortion, and of them, 75% of the participants report engaging in intense physical activity, 21% moderate physical activity, and 10% mild physical activity. 71% of the people surveyed have a nutritional status of malnutrition (whether overweight, obesity or underweight), however, they do not present a body distortion, that is, those who have malnutrition know it and recognize it in the silhouettes. Conclusion: Body perception and physical activity are related in people aged 20 to 49 years participating in this study, they have a medium association. People with body distortion report higher intensity physical activity ratings than those without body distortion.