Open AccessLeisure‐time physical activity and other health behaviours: are they related?
Author(s) -
Johnson Natalie A.,
Boyle Catherine A.,
Heller Richard F.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
australian journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1035-7319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.1995.tb00300.x
Subject(s) - confounding , logistic regression , obesity , environmental health , physical activity , life style , gerontology , leisure time , psychology , population , medicine , demography , pathology , sociology , physical medicine and rehabilitation
Data on the associations between leisure‐time physical activity and other health behaviours are conflicting. The National Heart Foundation 1989 Risk Factor Prevalence Survey data were analysed to examine the associations between leisure‐time physical activity and other life‐style health behaviours in a national representative sample with adjustment for potential confounders. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis using data from 9054 respondents aged 20 to 69 years showed that participation in leisure‐time physical activity, even when it was not vigorous, was weakly associated with not smoking, following a special diet and moderate consumption of alcohol; it was inversely associated with obesity. These weak associations could influence health practices at a population level if, as has been hypothesised, the adoption of leisure activity promotes the adoption of other good health practices. Confirmation of earlier findings of cross‐sectional associations between activity and other positive health practices justifies future prospective or experimental studies to determine the behavioural response to adoption of leisure‐time physical activity.