Socioeconomic and health differences in physical activity: a cross sectional study in Lithuania

Article no. ckz186.427Background Physical activity (PA) influences people’s individual health and quality of life and contributes to prevent non-communicable diseases. Research shows that only one third of the EU inhabitants satisfy the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for PA levels. Global decline in PA levels is associated with economic development, an increase in urbanization, communication technologies and the use of passive modes of transport. The aim of the study was to assess the levels of PA depending on socioeconomic factors and health among adults. Methods A cross sectional study of a random sample of Kaunas residents was conducted to investigate the habits of PA. A representative sample of 1111 individuals who completed the questionnaire were included in the study. Validated questionnaires were used to collect data. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to assess the relationship between the levels of PA and socioeconomic factors and health, adjusting for confounders. Results Our findings showed that non-workers were three times (OR 3.16; 95% CI 1.23-8.13) more likely to reach the levels of recommended PA compared to workers. The results revealed that car disposal and the increase in body mass index (BMI) were the two most important factors that reduced odds of reaching recommended levels of PA by 64 % (OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.14-0.93) and 13 % (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.80-0.96). Conclusions The differences in PA levels by individual socioeconomic factors and health were investigated in this study. The European Commission actively promotes Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning by developing guidelines for the local authorities to promote active mobility and increase PA. Key messages The study highlights the importance of considering different individual characteristics when assessing PA and evaluating related health effects.[...]Aplinkotyros katedraVytauto Didžiojo universiteta