Epidemiology of physical inactivity in Poland: Prevalence and determinants in a former communist country in socioeconomic transition (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 2013
Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess physical activity (PA) level in a representative sample of Polish adults. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed among 2413 randomly selected individuals (51.5% women) aged 18-79 years, who participated in the Nationwide Study of Occurrence of Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Diseases NATPOL 2011 (March-July 2011). The study procedures consisted of a questionnaire as well as of anthropometric, blood pressure and biochemical measurements. Leisure-time, occupational and commuting PA were assessed by the use of a questionnaire interview. Results: About 48.2% of adults do exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of a week. About 11% of the respondents declare a sedentary lifestyle. About 26.5% of working population report hard physical work, while sedentary work is reported by 47.6% of the employed participants. Active commuting is declared by 27.3% of working/studying population. About 47.2%, 36.6%, and 15.3% spend < 15, 15-30, and > 30 min per day, respectively, on this kind of PA. Conclusions: PA level of more than half of Polish adults is still not satisfactory. Promotion of an active lifestyle should concern mainly leisure-time and commuting PA with paying special attention to substantial differences in various socio-demographic groups.
The Regularities in Insufficient Leisure-Time Physical Activity in Poland
Background: Insufficient physical activity (PA) has become an increasing risk factor of noncommunicable diseases and an important cause of deaths all over the world. The goal of this paper is to provide an in-depth description of insufficient PA in Poland as well as an examination of some of its correlates. Methods: We take advantage of statistical and econometric (logistic regression) analysis on the basis of a representative survey. Out of 3056 respondents, we analyze the 1260 low-PA ones. Results: The household size is more significant than the household life phase, and only several professions increase the odds of insufficient PA. The influence of socioeconomic status and place of residence is most robust. Gender does not significantly influence insufficient PA. Physical inactivity is concentrated among inhabitants of rural areas and town dwellers, with poor educational profile, and limited labor market opportunities. However, even high socioeconomic status does not completely prevent insufficient activity. Conclusions: Groups at the highest risk of inactivity should be covered by promotional actions first. Their aim should mainly be raising the leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) awareness. To start with, primary forms of activity would be walking, Nordic walking and jogging.
Annals of agricultural and environmental medicine : AAEM, 2011
The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence, socio-demographic patterns and behavioural characteristics of leisure time physical activity in a pilot group of respondents of the Polish-Norwegian Study (PONS). PONS is an open-ended prospective study set in Świętokrzyski Province with study cohort consisting of adults aged 45-64 years. The physical activity section of the questionnaire was based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. 43% of the respondents had not walked for at least 10 minutes in their leisure time during the last week. The majority did not engage in any moderate or vigorous physical activity (PA). Being physically active was more prevalent among residents of urban areas and among respondents with a higher level of education. Performing PA was also positively associated with higher net income per household member. On average, respondents had spent 47 hours in a sedentary position during last week. The majority of subjects reported watching TV fo...
Leisure time physical activity among employed and unemployed women in Poland
Objective/Background: The aim of the paper was to investigate the leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among Polish employed and unemployed women in light of meeting the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations and analysed its relationship with employment status. The concept of personal responsibility for a healthy lifestyle plays in the modern times a crucial role here and is an integral part of the prevention process (including the necessity for LTPA). Methods: A sample (nZ527) of Polish women was surveyed by the long form of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-LF), with statistically significant differences between variables (intensity and duration of the activity vs. employment status), in the model being verified by chi-square testing. Multi-variable logistic regression analysis was performed to find the relationship between socio-demographic criteria and the amount of exercise recommended by WHO. The relationship between LTPA and the amount of exercise recommended by WHO was assessed using the log-linear analysis. Results: Over one-third of the respondents did not engage in any LTPA (employed e 38.6 and unemployed e 36.6%). Employed women engaged in vigorous exercises more often (18.2%) than those who were unemployed (5.8%). The amount of LTPA undertaken by the majority of respondents (58.7% employed and 65.2% unemployed) was not sufficient to maintain their health owing to lack of walking, moderate and vigorous LTPA. Conclusion: Polish women nowadays (regardless of whether they are employed or not) still do not engage in a sufficient amount of LTPA to maintain their health. Intervention programme in both groups is needed.
Leisure-Time Physical Activity Participation Trends 2014-2018: A Cross-Sectional Study in Poland
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health , 2020
Objective, the aim is an analysis of sociodemographic factors that had an essential relation with undertaking leisure-time physical activity-LTPA (with particular emphasis on World Health Organization (WHO) health recommendations) by adult Poles from a time-trend perspective. Methods, the paper is based on data retrieved from five large-scale surveys carried out on the representative samples of Poles aged 15-69 in 2014-2018 (n = 7347). In each wave, the Polish long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used. Results, the participation of Poles in LTPA constantly increases (p < 0.001) and the percentage of people meeting the dose of PA required for health recommendations is growing (on average, met by 43.9% of Polish men and 43.5% of women), which indicates a trend of behaviour of citizens of this country. The probability of realisation of WHO norms was determined by sex, age, place of residence and occupational status. Conclusion: it seems reasonable to develop Polish recommendations and guidelines for specific groups, including females and males, those who live in the villages and in the towns, different age groups: children/adolescents, adults (aged 50 to 59-most vulnerable to physical inactivity), the elderly, and various professional groups (especially farmers and physical workers).
2016
Physical activity as a part of people's everyday life reduces the risk of many diseases, including those induced by lifestyle, e.g. obesity, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, coronary heart disease, degenerative arthritis, and certain types of cancer. That refers particularly to professionally active people, including the early senior group working on non-manual positions. The aim of the study is to evaluate the relationship between physical activity and the socio-economic status of non-manual workers from Wroclaw—one of the biggest cities in Poland, a model setting for such investigations in this part of Europe. The crucial problem in the research is to find out the percentage of respondents who meet the health-related recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) concerning the volume, frequency, and intensity of physical activity, as well as to establish if the most important socio-economic factors, such as gender, age, education, marital status, per capita income, savi...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2017
Physical activity (PA) has well-documented health benefits helping to prevent development of non-communicable diseases. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence and factors associated with physical inactivity during leisure-time (LTPA) and commuting (CPA) among adult social assistance beneficiaries in Piotrkowski district. The studied sample consisted of 1817 respondents. Over 73% of the study population did not meet the recommended levels of LTPA. Fifty two % of the respondents had none leisure-time physical activity and 21.5% exercised occasionally. Main reasons for not taking up LTPA included: high general physical activity (36.4%), lack of time (28.1%), no willingness to exercise (25.4%). Close to 82% of the surveyed population did not practice commuting physical activity (CPA). The men had higher risk for inactivity during LTPA compared to the women (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.11-1.65; p ≤ 0.05). Higher odds of CPA inactivity were associated with unemployment, moderate and heavy drinking and having a number of health problems. The prevalence of physical inactivity among the social assistance recipients is much higher than it is in the general population. Promotion of an active lifestyle should take into consideration substantial differences between the general population and disadvantaged individuals and their various needs.
The purpose of the study was to assess factors determining physical activity in persons at the age of 60-69 years in an urban area. The study included 262 working residents of Warsaw at the initial period of old age. The study utilized a questionnaire consisting of two parts. The first part concerned recreational and touristic activities in the previous year. The second is a Polish version of IPAQ, assessing the respondents' level of activity throughout the past week. Based on IPAQ results, the respondents were divided into physically active and inactive ones. The active group included people meeting moderate to vigorous physical activity, whereas the inactive group included people who took up no physical activity at all or those with a low physical activity level. The relations between taking up physical activity and the variables characterizing the demographic structure as well as touristic and recreational activity of the respondents were assessed with the use of a log-linear analysis. Out of the variables taken into account, age, education and participation in physical recreation proved to be significant factors in taking up activity by the elderly. The odds ratios computed for the analyzed variables indicate that the risk of being inactive increases over two times after exceeding 65 years of age; a risk of similar magnitude was also observed in case of less educated populations. Regular participation in physical recreation provides a four-times increase in the chances to achieve levels of physical activity sufficient to remain healthy.
Comparative Leisure Physical Activity: A Comparison Between Polish and European Population
Introduction and objective: In Poland, there are only a few studies that refer to the whole society’s participation in sport and recreation and that are based an the international questionnaire thus allowing for comparative analysis with other European reports. The aim of the study was to determine the association between leisure physical activity and socio-demographic variables. Methods: A survey based on CAPI was carried out in Poland from October to November 2012. A random sample of Polish adults (N=1,633) was interviewed using the IPAQ-long form. The data were analyzed using standard statistical procedures. Results: More than 21% of Polish subjects did not undertake any physical activity in their leisure time. Of those who were physically active, over 70% engaged in vigorous physical activity; only one in four respondents performed moderate physical activity or walking. The average leisure physical activity of the Poles was 1,916.9 ± 2,621 MET-min/week. A comparison of the current results and European research findings demonstrated that the median physical activity for the Polish population (MET-min/week) was similar to the median values for Czech subjects and Norwegian males and nearly three times higher than Croats. Conclusions: Insufficient participation in the conscious process of caring for one’s health is a common occurrence among adults living in the EU. In order to encourage the Polish population’s participation in physical activities, it is necessary to raise their awareness of the need of well-balanced, regular exercise. Furthermore, this study suggests that caution is warranted before using the CAPI technique to provide the IPAQ-long form survey.