A survey of physical activity among urban women in China

Few studies have been conducted to assess the level of physical activity (PA) of women in China. The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of PA among women in Wuhan and explore sociodemographic and behavioral correlation to PA for the population. A total of 1359 community-dwelling women (42.97±13.60 years old) participated in this study. The long-version IPAQ was used to define the level of PA. 45.7% of women were considered physically active, and 27.5% were vigorously active. The proportion of physical inactivity was around 26.8%. The total and 4 domains of PA showed significant age, education level, and occupation variation. PA tended to be lower as the age declined. PA in transportation, housework, leisure time, and the total tended to be the lowest or the second lowest among the women aged 18-35 years old. PA tended to be lower as the level of education increased. Among the 5 indices, PA was the lowest among women with college education, especially those with postgraduate education. PA tended to be the lowest among the women of office staff and instructor or technician. Generally, the total and 4 domains of PA showed significant age, education level, and occupation variation. Physical inactivity appears to be more common among younger women, or college-educated women, office ladies, and female instructor and technicians. © 2009 Higher Education Press and Springer Berlin Heidelberg.