Socioeconomic Status and Physical Activity Levels: Analysis of the Young Lives Cohort Study in Peru

Physical inactivity is associated with socioeconomic and social levels; thus, individuals of low socioeconomic status are less likely than individuals of high socioeconomic status to exercise. We assessed the association between socioeconomic status and changes in physical activity levels among children from 2002 to 2017 in Peru.

We conducted a secondary data analysis of the Young Lives Study (n = 2052 children aged 8 years [at baseline] and 15 years [at the end of follow-up]), a cohort with data collected in Peru. The outcomes were insufficient physical activity (<5 days of physical activity per week) and physical inactivity (<1 day of physical activity per week), and the exposure variable consisted of 2 socioeconomic indicators (maternal education and wealth index). We assessed the association between outcomes and exposures by using Poisson regression models and reported relative risks (RRs) and 95% CIs.

Of 1888 participants at baseline, the mean (SD) age was 7.9 (0.3) years and 946 (50.1%) were male. The prevalence of physical inactivity and insufficient physical activity was 9.1% (n = 172) and 59.4% (n = 1122), respectively. After 7.0 (SD = 0.1) years of follow-up, in the multivariable model, a high wealth index was associated with low levels of physical activity, but maternal education was not. Thus, children with a high (vs low) level of wealth index had higher rates of physical inactivity (RR = 2.11; 95% CI, 1.47-3.03) and insufficient physical activity (RR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.03-1.19).

Wealth index was associated with insufficient physical activity and physical inactivity, but maternal education was not. Our results suggest the need to promote physical activity levels according to social context.