Associations of partnering transition and socioeconomic status with a four-year change in daily steps among Finnish adults.

The aim of this prospective four-year follow-up study was to examine how socioeconomic status (SES) and change in marital status are associated with the change in pedometer-measured physical activity (PA) in adulthood among participants in the 'Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study'. Questionnaires were completed and pedometers worn at baseline in 2007 and again at follow-up in 2011 by 1051 Finnish adults (62.3% female, aged 30-45 years in 2007). A latent change score model was used to examine mean change in daily total steps, aerobic steps and non-aerobic steps during weekdays and weekend days between 2007 and 2011. In women re-coupling or finding a new partner was associated with decrease in total steps (=0.010) and being single was associated with increase in non-aerobic steps (=0.047) during weekdays from 2007 to 2011 compared to women who were married. In men, divorcing was associated with decrease in non-aerobic steps (=0.049).