Physical activity of urban adult population: questionnaire study.

AIM

To assess the level of physical activity of an urban population according to gender, age, smoking, and educational differences.

METHODS

The sample comprised 594 men and women living and working in Zagreb, Croatia. Work, sport, and leisure-time activity indices were obtained by the Baecke's questionnaire. Significance of differences was tested by the Student's t-test. The relation between the indices and the education was determined by correlation analysis.

RESULTS

Women had lower work and sport indices score, and higher leisure-time activity index. After the age of 50, women participated significantly more in sport activities than men. There was a negative correlation between the education and the work index, and a significantly positive correlation between the educational level and the sport activity index, regardless of gender and age. Women smokers participated to a significantly lesser extent in sport activities than women non-smokers. Such differences were not observed in men.

CONCLUSION

People with lower educational level sustain more workload at their jobs than those with higher education. More educated people participate more in sport activities, although leisure time activity is not significantly related to education. In women, participation in sport activities negatively correlates with the smoking habit.