Nursing Research for Evidence-based Practice

Running Head: Nursing Research for Evidence-based Practice 1
Nursing Research for Evidence-based Practice
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Nursing Research for Evidence-based Practice 2
Specific Research Question: Do people age 45 years age and above with sedentary life styles have more risk of having heart disease
compared to the people who are physically active?
Article reference #1.
“DeFina LF, Radford NB, Barlow CE, Willis BL, Leonard D, Haskell WL, et al. (2019). Association of All-Cause and
Cardiovascular Mortality with High Levels of Physical Activity and Concurrent Coronary Artery Calcification. JAMA
Cardiology, 4, 174-181. doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2018.4628, 10.1001/jamacardio.2018.46”
The article has parts with titles and subtitles as well as relevant citations and referencing that makes it a scholarly article.
Abstract
Physical activity has well documented benefits that includes reduced rates of cardiovascular diseases (DeFina et al., 2018).
This study aims to investigate the relationship between physical activity and coronary artery calcification, a condition that results in
heart disease.

Nursing Research for Evidence-based Practice 3
Methodology
Population
The study included 21758 males with an average age of 51.7 years. The participants were recruited by evaluating their
physical activity background and history of Cardiovascular Artery Calcification (CAC) scanning. The exclusion criteria for the
study was individuals under 40 years of age and older than 80 years.
Intervention
Baseline examination was done using questionnaires that obtained thorough information on participant history that included
physical activity. Physician reports were used to obtain prescription medications. The study took place at the Cooper Clinic in
Dallas Texas and the data was collected between 1998 and 2013 and analyzed between September 2017 and May 2018.
Comparison.
The study does compare two groups. The study compared sedentary and physical activity lifestyles and how they influence
the rate of mortality due to CAC.

Nursing Research for Evidence-based Practice 4
Measurement
The baseline aspects of participants were summarized according to the level of physical activity, for instance, (<1500, 1500-
2999, or ≥3000 MET-minutes/week) and the level of arterial calcification (<100 or ≥100 AU). The number of deaths due to
cardiovascular diseases was summarized according to the categories.
Results
The prevalence of CAC was more among participants with more than 3000 MET-minutes/week compared to those that
accumulated less physical activity. The rate of mortality due to all-time causes and CVD was more in people who were less
physical active. The author concluded that extraneous physical activity increase the risk of contracting CAC but deaths that arise
are fewer compared to individuals with less physical activity (DeFina et al., 2018).
Limitations
The population that the sample derived was predominantly white, had access to good healthcare and well educated which
limits generalizability of the data.
Implications
The study can help nurses to reassure their patients that continuing exercise programs is good for their health as mortality
rates are greatly reduced.
Type of Clinical Question
The question is an etiology question.