Role of Regular Exercise in Preventing Recurrent Malaria Attacks in Male and Female

Authors: Seriki SA*, Adebayo OF and Enne EV

DOI: 10.23880/aabsc-16000147

Volume 3, Issue 1

Abstract

The entire human body is generally affected by exercise. Exercise affects the physiology of every system leading to various changes which generally affect the health of the body. Malaria on the other hand is one of the diseases with the most mortality rates especially in Nigeria and Africa, killing millions every year. As lethal as malaria is, no vaccine has been produced for it. Other preventive measures that improve individual’s natural immunity against attacks are still the most effective ways of tackling the disease in the face of failing Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to manage patients attacked by the disease. This study examines the role of regular exercise on malaria occurrence among selected male and females. It was to determine whether or not regular exercise reduces the frequency of malaria occurrence? Sixty (60) healthy subjects were selected and divided into two equal groups of regularly exercising subjects and nonexercising subjects with each group consisting of an equal number of male and female subjects. The study was for a period of twelve (12) weeks with the subjects checked every two weeks to see if there was an incidence of malaria. The subjects then filled a questionnaire to ascertain other factors like duration of exercise. At the end of the study period, the non-exercising group showed a higher frequency of malaria attack in both the male and female subjects compared to their regularly exercising counterparts; the non-exercising female subjects had a mean frequency of malaria occurrence of 1.2 compared to 0.4 for the regularly exercising subjects, while the non-exercising male subjects had a mean frequency of malaria occurrence of 0.7 compared to 0.3 of the regularly exercising male subjects. The study showed that regular exercise reduces the frequency of malaria occurrence in individuals.

Keywords: Malaria Attack; Regular Exercise; Immunity; Sedentary Lifestyle

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