Determinants of sports, cycling, walking and overall leisure-time physical activity among postmenopausal women in Germany.
OBJECTIVE
Convincing evidence exists for a beneficial effect of physical activity (PA) on health and well-being for elderly women. Nevertheless, many women in Germany are insufficiently physically active. Activity promotion programmes should target women in particular need. Thus, we examined subject-related determinants of PA for postmenopausal women in Germany.


METHODS
Associations of sociodemographic, anthropometric, lifestyle and health-related factors with activity since the age of 50 years were assessed with multiple linear and logistic regression models, regarding overall leisure-time PA (LPA) in metabolic equivalent hours per week, engagement in sports (ever v. never), cycling (yes v. no) and walking (≥3·5 v. <3·5 h/week).


METHODS
All controls from a population-based case-control study carried out in 2002-2005 in Germany (MARIE study).


METHODS
A total of 6569 postmenopausal women.


RESULTS
We found significant associations of overall LPA, sports, cycling and walking in postmenopausal years with several characteristics, among others: obese v. normal BMI (adjusted OR: ORsports = 0·73; ORcycling = 0·60; ORwalking = 0·63), tall v. short (ORsports = 1·49), worker v. medium employee (ORsports = 0·47), working full time v. unemployed/retired (ORsports = 0·80; ORwalking = 0·56), current v. non-smoker (ORsports = 0·62; ORcycling = 0·62; ORwalking = 0·82), non-German nationality (ORsports = 0·58; ORcycling = 0·41). Parity seemed more relevant than marital status for sports or cycling activity. Further, CVD, hypertension and diabetes were significantly associated with lower activity (ORsports = 0·77, 0·79 and 0·80; ORcycling = 0·80, 0·75 and 0·85, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest potential target groups for promoting sports, cycling or walking activity. Postmenopausal women with chronic diseases may need to be stronger encouraged by their physicians to engage in adequate PA for the management of their diseases.
Steindorf
Karen
K
Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Centre, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. k.steindorf@dkfz.de
Chang-Claude
Jenny
J
Flesch-Janys
Dieter
D
Schmidt
Martina E
ME
D000368:Aged; D001642:Bicycling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003710:Demography; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data