• Jaime Vásquez-Gómez, Cristian Álvarez, Igor Cigarroa, Andrés Godoy-Cumillaf, and Marcelo Castillo-Retamal.
• Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile.
• Rev Med Chil. 2022 Dec 1; 150 (12): 159616041596-1604.

BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) practice reduces the adverse effects of COVID-19. PA counseling promotes healthy lifestyles and prevents cardiometabolic diseases.AimTo assess the trend in cases of PA counseling and the cardiometabolic disease between 2012 and 2019 (before COVID-19) in a southern Chilean region.Material And MethodsRecords of Maule Region Health Service for 731.163 men, and 829.097 women aged < 10 to ≥ 65 years were analyzed. The average annual percentage change (AAPC) during the study period and the annual percentage change (APC) during intermediate periods, were calculated.ResultsThere was a significant decrease in PA counseling in women in the study period (AAPC: -13.6%). In the 2012-2017 period a significant decrease in counseling for total, men and women were observed (APC: -18.1, -16.5 and -19.1%, respectively). Obesity increased significantly in total, men and women in the 2012-2019 period (AAPC: 10.1, 8.5 and 10.7%, respectively). The same trend was observed for hypertension (AAPC: 8.1, 8.5 and 7.6% respectively) and elevated blood glucose (AAPC: 10, 11.5 and 9.6%, respectively).ConclusionsIn the study period PA counseling decreased along with an increase in obesity, hypertension and high blood glucose. Increasing PA counseling is a mainstay in the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases and probably to prevent contagion and complement the treatment of COVID-19.

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