ral ssBioMed CentBMC Public Health Open AcceResearch article Patterns and correlates of physical activity: a cross-sectional study in urban Chinese women

Background: Inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for many diseases. Rapid economic development in China has been associated with changes in lifestyle, including physical activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns and correlates of physical activity in middle-aged and elderly women from urban Shanghai. Methods: Study population consisted of 74,942 Chinese women, 40–70 years of age, participating in the baseline survey of the Shanghai Women's Health Study (1997–2000), an ongoing population-based cohort study. A validated, interviewer-administered physical activity questionnaire was used to collect information about several physical activity domains (exercise/sports, walking and cycling for transportation, housework). Correlations between physical activity domains were evaluated by Spearman rank-correlation coefficients. Associations between physical activity and socio-demographic and lifestyle factors were evaluated by odds ratios derived from logistic regression. Results: While more than a third of study participants engaged in regular exercise, this form of activity contributed only about 10 % to daily non-occupational energy expenditure. About two-thirds of women met current recommendations for lifestyle activity. Age was positively associate