Aim:
To determine the relative importance of sociodemographic characteristics, physical health and psychosocial functioning as correlates with physical inactivity across adulthood.
Methods:
Data were collected from a population-based study of 7485 participants in three cohorts aged 20–24, 40–44 and 60–64 years. The prevalence of physical inactivity was determined for each age group. Data were gathered on potential risk factors for physical inactivity from sociodemographic, health and psychosocial functioning domains, with the aim of determining whether psychosocial functioning, especially depression, was an important correlate of physical inactivity after accounting for sociodemographic and health variables.
Results:
The rates of physical inactivity increased with age, with 42.5% of younger and 53.8% of older adults classified as physically inactive. The importance of various correlates of physical inactivity differed across adulthood, with chronic physical conditions such as diabetes [odds ratio (OR) = 1.52, P < 0.05) and health behaviours such as current smoking (OR = 1.75, P < 0.001) being the strongest correlates for older adults. For younger and middle-aged adults, sociodemographic variables such as being unemployed (P < 0.05) and fewer years of education (P < 0.001) were correlates of physical inactivity. In terms of psychosocial functioning, depression (P < 0.01) remained a significant correlate of inactivity across all age groups, even after accounting for sociodemographic and health variables.
Conclusion:
Depression is an important correlate of physical inactivity across the adult life span even after considering sociodemographic factors, health and lifestyle behaviours, and physical health.
