Socioeconomic Patterning of Physical Activity among Middle-Aged to Older Adults

• Main Author: Yuan, Jane
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Scholarship@Western 2023
• Subjects: physical activity; socioeconomic status; education; wealth; healthy aging; Epidemiology; Canada; First Nations
• Online Access: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/9185; https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/context/etd/article/11878/viewcontent/YuanJane_Thesis__03.23__2.pdf

Regular physical activity is a well-known protective factor against chronic disease and strongly correlated with healthy aging. However, as physical activity levels tend to decline with age, there is a need to identify barriers which prevent older adults from being physically active. This thesis investigated the relationship between socioeconomic status and meeting physical activity guidelines of 150 minutes or more of moderate- to vigorous- intensity physical activity among middle-aged to older adults in Canada. Using cross-sectional data from the baseline assessment of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, block-wise multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the association between socioeconomic status, represented by education and wealth, in relation to meeting physical activity guidelines while adjusting for demographic, lifestyle and other health related factors. Sex and age-stratified analyses were conducted. After adjusting for all covariates, having a post-secondary education was a significant correlate of meeting physical activity guidelines among males, while higher wealth was a significant correlate of meeting physical activity guidelines among both males and females. Evidence of effect modification by weight status on education and wealth was found. Our findings highlight the need to increase accessibility of physical activity among disadvantaged population subgroups so that all can reap the benefits of physical activity. Further research using longitudinal data to assess the causality of the association between socioeconomic status and physical activity levels, inclusive of First Nations and people living in the Northern territories, is needed.