Gender-specific demographic factors and lifestyle habits related to physical inactivity

Objective To identify gender-specific sociodemographic and lifestyle variables associated with leisure-time physical inactivity in a low-income population. Methods This cross-sectional, population-based study conducted in Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro (2005), collected the following data from 1113 adults in home interviews: leisure-time physical activity, sociodemographic information, lifestyle habits (smoking, soda intake), and anthropometric measurements. The hierarchical Poisson regression modeling was used for data analysis setting leisure-time physical inactivity (individuals who did not practice any type of leisure-time physical activity) as outcome. The first level of the model included the sociodemographic variables and the second, lifestyle habits, food intake, and nutritional status according to body mass index (kg/m(2)) as follows: underweight < 18.5; 18.5 <= normal weight < 25.0; 25.0 <= overweight < 30.0; and obese >= 30.0. Results The prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity was 33.0% (CI95%: 28.6-37.6) for men and 67.0% (CI95%: 62.3-71.3) for women. In the final model, leisure-time physical inactivity in males was associated with overweight (overweight: PR=1.50, obesity: PR=1.50, p=0.004) and skin color (black/brown: PR=0.71, p=0.003); and in females, with education level (PR=1.15, p=0.019), waist circumference (PR=0.87, p=0.042), smoking (PR=1.17, p=0.003), and higher soda intake (PR=1.22, p=0.015). Conclusion The factors associated with leisure-time physical inactivity vary between genders. The women had unhealthy lifestyles: they smoked, consumed soda, and were more inactive.