Effects of a 12-week worksite aerobic dance programme on blood glucose and lipids in public service employees

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of a 12-week aerobic dance programme on the serum glucose and lipid profiles of employees (n = 26) of the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), Gaborone, Botswana, who registered for the workplace programme. The participants’ baseline anthropometric characteristics expressed as mean ± SD included: age = 35.4 ± 4.3 years; body weight = 77.2 ± 6.3 kg; height = 1.62 ± 2.4 m; BMI = 30.18 ± 3.7 kg/m²; waist circumference = 88.62 ± 1.2cm; hip circumference = 111.03 ± 2.1cm; and % body fat = 8.52 ± 1.1%. A quasi experimental design (one group pre-test-post-test design), in which participants’ serum glucose and lipid profiles were assessed before and after the 12-week aerobic dance programme at 60-70% HRR (Karvonen’s HRR method), was used. Fasting blood samples were collected from the participants using the vacutainer method and biochemically analysed using standard protocols. Using paired t-tests to compare the means of the participants’ pre-test and post-test masurements, results at p ≤ .05 showed significant increases in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (from 1.09 to 1. 21 mmol.L^-1), whereas mean values of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) decreased substantialy post-test (from 2.83 to 2.47 mmol.L^-1), triglycerides (from .9048 to .7467 mmol.L^-1) and blood glucose (from 4.785 to 4.617 mmol.L^-1). Conclusively, a 12-week aerobic dance programme could promote healthy blood glucose and lipids in previously sedentary employees.

Keywords: Blood glucose, lipids, physical activity, aerobic dance programme, workplace, employees