Prevalence and variables associated with physical inactivity in individuals with high and low socioeconomic status.
BACKGROUND
Studies that considered only the leisure physical activity found that the physical inactivity is higher among lower-income individuals. There is a possibility that this association shows modifications, when considering transportation, work and domestic activities.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there is a difference between the prevalence of physical inactivity between individuals of high and low socioeconomic levels.


METHODS
The sample consisted of individuals of both sexes, aged 18 or older, from two groups of different socioeconomic levels. The low socioeconomic level (LSEL) group consisted of the parents of students from a public school. The high socioeconomic level (HSEL) group consisted of the parents of students from a private College. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to determine the level of physical activity.


RESULTS
A total of 91 individuals were evaluated in the LSEL group and 59 in the HSEL group. In the LSEL group, 42.9% (39) of the individuals were classified as insufficiently active, compared to 57.6% (34) of individuals in the HSEL group. Taking as a parameter of physical inactivity the time of weekly physical activity < 150 minutes, there was a decrease in the classification of inactivity in both groups, although with the maintenance of higher inactivity among individuals of HSEL (49.2% vs 28.6%; p= 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The individuals of HSEL are more sedentary than the individuals of LSEL.
Reis
Helena França Correia dos
HF
Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública, Salvador, BA, Brasil.
Ladeia
Ana Marice Teixeira
AM
Passos
Everton Carvalho
EC
Santos
Flávio Guilherme de Oliveira
FG
Wasconcellos
Larissa Tapioca de
LT
Correia
Luís Cláudio Lemos
LC
Menezes
Marta Silva
MS
Santos
Renata Dáttoli Gouvêa
RD
Bomfim
Victor Guerrero do
VG
Rocha
Mário de Seixas
Mde S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult