Re-assessing the social climate of physical (in)activity in Canada

Social-ecological models suggest that a strategy for increasing population physical activity participation is to reconstruct the "social climate" through changing social norms and beliefs about physical activity (PA). In this study, we assessed whether the PA social climate in Canada has c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC public health 2023-12, Vol.23 (1), p.2548-2548, Article 2548
Main Authors: Fagan, Matthew James, Vanderloo, Leigh M, Banerjee, Ananya, Ferguson, Leah J, Lee, Eun-Young, O'Reilly, Norman, Rhodes, Ryan E, Spence, John C, Tremblay, Mark S, Faulkner, Guy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Analysis
Canada
Climate change
COVID-19
Data collection
Ecological model
Ecological models
Exercise
GDP
Gross Domestic Product
Health aspects
Health behavior
Humans
Medical care, Cost of
Neighborhoods
Norms
Obesity
Pandemics
Perceptions
Physical activity
Physical fitness
Policy
Polls & surveys
Population
Population growth
Public health
Public opinion
Residence Characteristics
Sedentary behavior
Smoking
Social aspects
Social climate
Social Environment
Social norms
Society
Surveys
Tobacco
Walking
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Summary:Social-ecological models suggest that a strategy for increasing population physical activity participation is to reconstruct the "social climate" through changing social norms and beliefs about physical activity (PA). In this study, we assessed whether the PA social climate in Canada has changed over a five-year period after controlling for sociodemographic factors and PA levels. Replicating a survey administered in 2018, a sample of adults in Canada (n = 2,507) completed an online survey assessing social climate dimensions, including but not limited to descriptive and injunctive norms. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and binary logistic regressions were conducted to assess the associations of sociodemographic factors and year of the survey with social climate dimensions. Results suggest some social climate constructs are trending in a positive direction between 2018 and 2023. Physical inactivity was considered a serious public health concern by 49% of respondents, second to unhealthy diets (52%). Compared to those who participated in the 2018 survey, participants in 2023 were less likely to see others walking or wheeling in their neighbourhood (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.41, 1.78), but more likely to see people exercising (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.73, 0.92) and kids playing in their neighbourhood (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.85). No changes were reported between 2018 and 2023 in individuals' perceptions of whether physical inactivity is due to individual versus external factors (OR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.13). The findings of this work indicate a modest positive shift in some measured components of the social climate surrounding PA although attributing causes for these changes remain speculative.
ISSN:1471-2458
1471-2458
DOI:10.1186/s12889-023-17436-3