title: [Socioeconomic differences in physical activity in the middle-aged working population: The role of education, occupation, and income].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Regular physical activity has positive effects on health at all ages. This study aims to investigate how far physical activity and regular sports engagement, as a more specific type of physical activity, are associated with socioeconomic factors in the middle-aged working population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from 21,699 working men and women aged between 30 and 64 years who participated in the 2009 and 2010 population-based national German Health Update (GEDA) surveys conducted by the Robert Koch Institute. Besides a multi-dimensional index of socioeconomic status (SES), three single dimensions of SES (education, occupation, and income) were used to analyse socioeconomic differences in total physical activity and regular sports engagement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While the prevalence of total physical activity increased with lower SES, the proportion of people with regular sports engagement decreased with lower SES. These associations remained after adjusting for age in men and women. After mutual adjustment of the three single socioeconomic dimensions, physical activity was independently associated with lower education and lower occupational status. Regular sports engagement was observed to be independently associated with higher education, higher occupational status, as well as higher income after mutual adjustment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates significant socioeconomic differences in physical and sports activity in the middle-aged working population. Education, occupation, and income show varying independent associations with physical activity behaviour. Such differences need to be considered when identifying target groups for health-enhancing physical activity interventions.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Epidemiologie und Gesundheitsmonitoring, Robert Koch-Institut, General-Pape-Str. 62-66, 12101, Berlin, Deutschland. j.hoebel@rki.de.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoebel
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Epidemiologie und Gesundheitsmonitoring, Robert Koch-Institut, General-Pape-Str. 62-66, 12101, Berlin, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Jonas D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Finger
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Epidemiologie und Gesundheitsmonitoring, Robert Koch-Institut, General-Pape-Str. 62-66, 12101, Berlin, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuntz
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Epidemiologie und Gesundheitsmonitoring, Robert Koch-Institut, General-Pape-Str. 62-66, 12101, Berlin, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lampert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064890:Social Determinants of Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Exercise; Physical activity; Physical activity promotion; Social determinants; Socioeconomic position