Socioeconomic inequalities in occupational, leisure-time, and transport related physical activity among European adults: A systematic review

Abstract

BackgroundThis study systematically reviewed the evidence pertaining to socioeconomic inequalities in different domains of physical activity (PA) by European region.MethodsStudies conducted between January 2000 and December 2010 were identified by a systematic search in Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Psychinfo, Sportdiscus, Sociological Abstracts, and Social Service Abstracts. English-language peer-reviewed studies undertaken in the general population of adults (18–65 years) were classified by domain of PA (total, leisure-time including sport, occupational, active transport), indicator of socioeconomic position (education, income, occupation), and European region. Distributions of reported positive, negative, and null associations were evaluated.ResultsA total of 131 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in Scandinavia (n = 47). Leisure-time PA was the most frequently studied PA outcome (n = 112). Considerable differences in the direction of inequalities were seen for the different domains of PA. Most studies reported that those with high socioeconomic position were more physically active during leisure-time compared to those with low socioeconomic position (68% positive associations for total leisure-time PA, 76% for vigorous leisure-time PA). Occupational PA was more prevalent among the lower socioeconomic groups (63% negative associations). Socioeconomic differences in total PA and active transport PA did not show a consistent pattern (40% and 38% positive associations respectively). Some inequalities differed by European region or socioeconomic indicator, however these differences were not very pronounced.ConclusionsThe direction of socioeconomic inequalities in PA in Europe differed considerably by domain of PA. The contradictory results for total PA may partly be explained by contrasting socioeconomic patterns for leisure-time PA and occupational PA.

Patterns and correlates of physical activity among middle-aged employees: A population-based, cross-sectional study

“…Our results indicated that employees with higher educational levels tend to have more sedentary occupations, which is in accordance with the studies conducted on different populations [26,27]. In contrast, there was no significant relationship between educational level and the leisure-time or transport-related physical activity, although such relationships were previously determined in different populations [28]. Additionally, educational level was inversely related to the total and domestic physical activity, suggesting that the middle-aged employees with higher educational levels may be one of the priority target populations for physical activity promotion programs.…”

Como gênero e escolaridade interagem nos padrões de inatividade física em diferentes domínios em adultos?

“…Mesmo em delineamentos transversais, onde teoricamente não é possível a distinção de causa e efeito, a análise sobre a perspectiva da causalidade social aponta para a infl uência de aspectos demográfi cos e sociais sobre a presença de comportamentos de risco 19 , dentre eles, a inatividade física 20 .…”

“…No entanto, ainda há na literatura inconsistência sobre a associação entre o nível de escolaridade e a adoção do transporte ativo 5,15 . Recente estudo de revisão sistemática não observou evidência de associação do deslocamento ativo com o nível educacional, nem interação entre gênero e escolaridade 20 . É possível que fatores ambientais, como a conectividade das ruas, a densidade populacional, o trânsito, o uso misto do território e o planejamento dos bairros sejam especialmente importantes para o deslocamento ativo 29 .…”

The Influence of Urban Land-Use and Public Transport Facilities on Active Commuting in Wellington, New Zealand: Active Transport Forecasting Using the WILUTE Model

“…Existing studies on socioeconomic inequalities in active transport provide inconsistent results [23]. For example, a Dutch study suggests that more educated adults are more likely to actively commute [24], whereas studies from the UK and Australia show the reverse [25][26][27].…”