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Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Physical activity and immigrant status: evidence from the Canadian Community Health Survey
Mark S Tremblay1, Shirley N Bryan, Claudio E Pérez
1Health Statistics Division, Statistics Canada, Main Building, Room 0005, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, ON K1A 0T6. mark.tremblay@statcan.ca
Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne De Sante Publique
|September 14, 2006
Summary
Physical activity in Canada varies by ethnicity and time since immigration. Strategies to promote health must consider these factors for diverse populations.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Canadian immigrant population is diverse and growing.
- Little is known about physical activity behavior and adaptation to Canadian lifestyle.
- Study extends physical activity surveillance to include time since immigration and ethnic group influences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine physical activity behavior among immigrants in Canada.
- To investigate how time since immigration influences physical activity.
- To compare physical activity levels within and between ethnic groups.
Main Methods:
- Pooled data from Canadian Community Health Survey (2000/01, 2003).
- Analyzed self-reported leisure-time physical activity (> or = 3 kcal x kg(-1) x day(-1)).
- Used logistic regression to assess odds of physical activity by time since immigration and ethnicity, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of physical activity among recent immigrants varied by ethnicity, with White (21%) and Black (19%) having higher rates than South Asian (11%).
- Physical activity increased with time since immigration: recent immigrants (16%) < immigrants (20%) < non-immigrants (24%).
- Adjusting for age, income, education, and BMI had minimal impact on these associations.
Conclusions:
- Physical activity levels differ significantly by immigrant status and ethnicity in Canadian adults.
- Promoting physical activity requires tailored strategies considering both ethnicity and duration of stay in Canada.
- Interventions should address ethnic and temporal variations in physical activity to combat inactivity.
