Spatial analysis of leisure-time physical activity in an urban area

To analyze the spatial distribution of the prevalence of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) in a Brazilian urban area and its association with the characteristics of the physical and social environments.

A cross-sectional study conducted with data from the Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases from the years 2008-2010, in Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The outcome was the practice of LTPA and the independent variables were residential and population density, the density of places for physical activity, homicide rates, average family income, and health vulnerability index. The spatial scanning technique was employed to identify clusters with a high prevalence of PA at leisure time. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare variables inside and outside the cluster.

The sample included 5,779 participants, 33.3% (SE = 0.73) of whom reported sufficient PA during leisure time. We identified a significant cluster of a high prevalence of LTPA. After adjustments, the cluster presented a radius of 3,041.99 meters and 603 individuals, and 293 (48.6%) of them reported sufficient LTPA. The probability of performing sufficient LTPA in the cluster was 27% higher (PR = 1.27; p = 0.002) than in the coverage areas of primary healthcare units outside the cluster. There was a higher density of places for LTPA practice, higher population and residential density, and higher family income in the cluster.

The results evidenced a cluster of high prevalence of LTPA in a privileged physical and socioeconomic environment in Belo Horizonte, even after adjustments, demonstrating that reducing inequalities can increase LTPA.