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Physical activity in three regional communities in Q ueensland
Author(s) -
Brown Wendy J.,
Burton Nicola W.,
Sahlqvist Shan,
Heesch Kristiann C.,
McCarthy Kylah B.,
Ng Norman,
Uffelen Jannique G.Z.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
australian journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.48
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1584
pISSN - 1038-5282
DOI - 10.1111/ajr.12015
Subject(s) - physical activity , recreation , cycling , medicine , gerontology , intervention (counseling) , demography , physical therapy , geography , nursing , archaeology , sociology , political science , law
Objective To describe physical activity participation in three Q ueensland regional communities. Design Cross‐sectional mail survey of randomly selected residents, stratified by age and sex. Setting E sk, M areeba and M ount I sa. Participants 1219 (58% women) adults, with a mean age 46.7 (standard deviation 14.7) years. Main outcome measures Proportion of people inactive, meeting A ustralian activity guidelines (a minimum of 150 min week −1 and five sessions week −1 ) and walking a dog daily; time spent walking and cycling for transport; location and type of recreational physical activities. Results Overall, 18% of respondents were inactive, with the highest proportions among women (22.3%) and older adults in M ount I sa (24.3%). The proportion meeting activity guidelines was 47%, with the lowest proportion among women in M ount I sa (40.4%). Although 63% reported owning a dog, only 22% reported walking a dog daily. Few people reported walking or cycling for transport. The most common types of activities were walking, home‐based exercise, running/jogging and swimming, and the most common location was at or near home. Conclusions Physical activity levels were lower in these regional communities than the state average. The findings indicate a need for physical activity policy and intervention strategies targeting regional and rural areas. This could focus on women and older adults, dog walking and physical activity opportunities in or near the home.