Physical and Social Environment Are Associated to Leisure Time Physical Activity in Adults of a Brazilian City: A Cross-Sectional Study

• Published in: PloS one 2016-02, Vol.11 (2), p.e0150017-e0150017
• Main Authors: Gomes, Crizian Saar, Matozinhos, Fernanda Penido, Mendes, Larissa Loures, Pessoa, Milene Cristine, Velasquez-Melendez, Gustavo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Analysis; Biology and Life Sciences; Brazil; Chronic illnesses; Cities; Confidence intervals; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data analysis; Data base management systems; Data processing; Demographic aspects; Earth Sciences; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Environment; Environment Design; Environments; Exercise; Female; Habits; Health Promotion; Health risks; Health surveillance; Homicide; Humans; Leisure; Leisure Activities; Male; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Motor Activity; Multilevel; Neighborhoods; Nursing; Nutrition; People and Places; Perceptions; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Physical training; Physiological aspects; Population; Population Density; Public health; Regression analysis; Research and Analysis Methods; Residence Characteristics; Residential areas; Residential density; Risk factors; Social Environment; Social Sciences; Socioeconomic Factors; Statistical analysis; Studies; Surveillance; Surveys; Training
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150017

The physical activity practice is highlighted as a strategy to health promotion and to avoid chronic diseases. In addition to individual factors, environmental characteristics in which people live, may offer opportunities or barriers in adopting healthy habits and this is related to the physical activity (PA) practice among individuals. The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between neighborhood environment and leisure-time physical activity in adults. This is a cross-sectional study, developed using the database of Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (VIGITEL 2008/2010) of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Individuals with the habit of practicing PA for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity PA or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity PA throughout the week in leisure time were classified as active in leisure time. To characterize the built and social environment we used georeferenced data of public and private places for physical activity, population density, residential density, homicide rate and total income of the coverage area of the basic health units. The covered area of the basic health units was used as context unit. For data analysis, we used multilevel logistic regression. The study included 5779 adults, 58.77% female. There was variability of physical activity in leisure time between area covered by the basic health units (Median Odds ratio = 1.30). After adjusting for individual characteristics, the increase of density of private places for physical activity (Odds ratios-OR = 1.31; 95% confidence interval-95% CI: 1.15 to 1.48) and the smaller homicide rate (OR = 0.82; IC95%: 0.70 to 0.96) in the neighborhood increased physical activity in leisure time. The evidence of this study shows that neighborhood environment may influence the physical activity practice in leisure time and should be considered in future interventions and health promotion strategies.