OCCUPATIONAL AND DOMESTIC ACTIVITY PROFILES AS DETERMINANTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL IN GRAIN-FARM WORKERS OF KARAKALPAKSTAN
Keywords:
physical activity level; time-motion study; agricultural work; basal metabolic rate; total energy expenditure; occupational health; nutrition.Abstract
Daily energy requirements in agricultural populations are shaped not only by total workload but also by the functional distribution of occupational, commuting, domestic and recovery activities. Objective: To analyze the structure of daily energy expenditure and the physical activity level (PAL; total energy expenditure/basal metabolic rate) among grain-farm workers in Karakalpakstan. Methods: A 24-hour time-motion approach was used for two seasonal periods. Basal metabolic rate was calculated from anthropometric data, and activity-specific energy costs were estimated using physical activity coefficients. Results: Men had a very high PAL in both seasons (2.62 in winter–spring and 2.68 in summer–autumn). Women had a lower but still elevated PAL (1.97 and 1.96). The male profile was dominated by field work and commuting, whereas women’s expenditure was distributed across domestic work, childcare, walking, self-care and recovery. Conclusion: PAL-based interpretation reveals that the same farming community contains two distinct energy-expenditure models: a male occupational-load model and a female distributed-load model. Nutrition planning should therefore combine total energy targets with activity-structure analysis.
References
1. Harris JA, Benedict FG. A biometric study of human basal metabolism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1918;4(12):370-373. doi:10.1073/pnas.4.12.370. PMID:16576330.
2. Frankenfield DC, Muth ER, Rowe WA. The Harris-Benedict studies of human basal metabolism: history and limitations. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998;98(4):439-445. doi:10.1016/S0002-8223(98)00100-X. PMID:9550168.
3. Schofield WN. Predicting basal metabolic rate, new standards and review of previous work. Hum Nutr Clin Nutr. 1985;39 Suppl 1:5-41. PMID:4044297.
4. Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Herrmann SD, et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities: a second update of codes and MET values. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011;43(8):1575-1581. PMID:21681120.
5. Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, et al. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: a third update of the energy costs of human activities. J Sport Health Sci. 2024;13(1):6-12. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2023.10.010. PMID:38242596.
6. Poulianiti KP, Havenith G, Flouris AD. Metabolic energy cost of workers in agriculture, construction, manufacturing, tourism, and transportation industries. Ind Health. 2019;57(3):283-305. doi:10.2486/indhealth.2018-0075. PMID:30058597.
7. Adams AM. Seasonal variations in energy balance among agriculturalists in central Mali: compromise or adaptation? Eur J Clin Nutr. 1995;49(11):809-823. PMID:8557019.
8. Kashiwazaki H, Dejima Y, Orias-Rivera J, Coward WA. Year-round high physical activity levels in agropastoralists of Bolivian Andes: results from repeated measurements of DLW method in peak and slack seasons of agricultural activities. Am J Hum Biol. 2009;21(3):337-345. PMID:19127525.
9. Singh S, Sinwal S, Rathore H. Assessment of energy balance of Indian farm women in relation to their nutritional profile in lean and peak agricultural seasons. Work. 2012;41 Suppl 1:4363-4371. PMID:22317390.
10. Lukmanji Z. Women's workload and its impact on their health and nutritional status. Prog Food Nutr Sci. 1992;16(2):163-179. PMID:1496119.
