Relation between commuting, leisure time physical activity and serum lipids in a Chinese urban population

Primary objective: To analyse the association between both commuting and leisure time physical activity and serum lipids in a Chinese population. Population: A total of 1786 males and 1922 females aged 20-49 years. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 1989 in urban area of the city of Tianjin, China. Commuting and leisure time physical activity, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides were determined. Results: Daily walking or cycling to and from work was inversely associated with serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations among men and positively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations among women as compared to travelling to and from work by bus. Conclusions: The present study showed a significant association between serum lipids and commuting physical activity, but no relation with leisure time sports.