Abstract
Purpose
Literature showed that age could play an inverse effect on weight reduction and higher values of weight loss were associated with higher levels of body mass index (BMI). Based on this evidence, an 8-week Zumba study examined possible relationships that could exist among the variables of weight loss and age, and weight loss and BMI in 36 females, mean age 34.25 ± 8.50 years and mean BMI 32.98 ± 5.32 kg/m2.
Methods
The intervention involved 16 hourly Zumba sessions held twice weekly over 8 weeks. The exercises comprised a mixture of merengue, salsa, reggaeton and bachata with warm-up and cool-down activities. They were of low-impact style but were maintained at vigorous intensity that was still bearable for the obese subjects. Weight and height were recorded before and after the programme with a Seca 807 scale and a Seca 213 stadiometer. The age of last birthday was also taken.
Results
Spearman’s correlations showed a very strong negative and statistically significant association between the participants’ mean weight loss and their respective age groups: ρ = −0.83, P = 0.04, and a very strong positive but statistically insignificant association between their mean weight loss and respective BMI categories: ρ = 0.80, P = 0.20.
Conclusion
Between-subjects variations, including the investigated variables of age and BMI, acted as confounders in the interpretation of the correlation results. Despite these extraneous factors, this was the first study that investigated how weight loss during a Zumba programme for women could vary separately with age and BMI.
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Notes
Precautions such as calibration of scales and duplicate height measurements served to minimize the chances of instrumentation threat and measurement errors.
Instead of going for the non-parametric version of the Pearson’s correlation, the investigator could have opted to transform the data using mathematical functions but preferred to coax them into more meaningful variables by converting them into rank-ordered categories.
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Acknowledgments
The author thanks Mrs June Sampson and Prof Antony Stewart from Staffordshire University for their support. Further acknowledgements go to the Malta Sports Council (KMS) and the Ministry of Health for allowing the author sufficient time to do the necessary research and preparations for this study. The permission from the KMS and the University of Malta to use their hall for the Zumba sessions is also appreciated. Gratitude is extended to the Zumba instructress, Ms Johanna Refalo, and to Mr William Galea, a KMS Executive Officer. This paper was not supported by any funding body.
Conflict of interest
There was no conflict of interest to declare.
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Micallef, C. Associations of weight loss in relation to age and body mass index in a group of Maltese overweight and obese women during an 8-week Zumba programme. Sport Sci Health 11, 97–102 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-014-0211-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-014-0211-z