GYM ACCESS: PROPOSAL OF A SYNTHETIC VARIABLE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST NON-COMMUNICABLE CHRONIC DISEASES

This paper aims to infer the importance of gyms and health clubs in the fight against non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) and the fight against obesity and physical inactivity amid a global pandemic. Neither scholars nor health associations present a clear indicator of devices dealing with physical inactivity, unlike what was done with hospital beds. In this gap lies this article's purpose: in light of upstream social marketing, to propose that the number of gyms per 100,000 inhabitants, with the physical activity penetration rate, combined in a synthetic variable is an indicator in the fight against physical inactivity and obesity. We strive to offer a synthetic variable, namely Gym Access. We proposed a Gym Access ranking amongst the 61 countries utilizing the new variable. We analyzed secondary data from 61 countries using Confirmatory and Exploratory Factorial Analyses, Linear and Multiple Regression, Process Mediation Analysis, and One-way ANOVA. The latent variable positively impacts the country's life expectancy, and NCDs absolute risk rate mediates the impact of Gym Access on the country's life expectancy. Finland ranks first in the Gym Access ranking, and Indonesia ranks last. There is a significant statistical difference between OECD countries compared to other countries.