[Leisure time activity in a random sample of working-age people in Lodz--preliminary results]

In industrialized countries, diseases attributable to low physical activity form a very serious social and economic problem.

The aim of this study was to analyze the level of recreational physical activity in a random sample of 200 people at working age in Łódź. Physical activity was determined by the interviewer-administrated questionnaire Seven-Day Physical Activity Recall (SDPAR).

Total weekly energy expenditure in a group of 100 women and 100 men (mean age, 44.9 +/- 11.6 years) was 2992.7 +/- 974.8 kcal/week. The respondents spent on moderate, heavy and and very heavy recreational physical activity 2.5 +/- 3.8; 0.2 +/- 0.7; and 0.2 +/- 1.0 h/week, respectively. Almost 50% of subjects reported 0.0 kcal/week energy expenditure on recreational physical activities. There were only 14.8% and 15.4% of subjects who had respectively 1000-1999 kcal/week and < 2000 kcal/week energy expenditure on leisure time physical activity. This study demonstrated that only about 30% of subjects achieved the level of physical activity recommended by experts in health promotion and prevention of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

Effective programs need to be developed and implemented to increase the level of recreational physical activity among the adult population of Łódź.