Hostname: page-component-784d4fb959-nsmbk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-07-16T17:54:45.615Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Relationship between attitudes to health, body weight and physical activity and level of physical activity in a nationally representative sample in the European Union

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

BM Margetts ,
E Rogers ,
K Widhal ,
A-M Remaut de Winter  and
H-JF Zunft
BM Margetts
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Nutrition and Wessex Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
E Rogers
Affiliation:
Institute of Human Nutrition and Wessex Institute for Health Research and Development, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
K Widhal
Affiliation:
University of Kinderlinik, Wien, Austria
A-M Remaut de Winter
Affiliation:
Faculty of Agriculture and Applied Biological Science, University of Gent, Gent, Belgium
H-JF Zunft
Affiliation:
German Institute of Human Nutrition, Bergholz-Rehbruecke, Germany
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective

To explore the factors that influence attitudes and beliefs about the effects of body weight and physical activity on health.

Design

Cross-sectional survey using a face-to-face interview-assisted questionnaire.

Setting

The survey was conducted between March and April 1997 in the 15 member states of the EU.

Subjects

Approximately 1000 adults aged 15 years plus from each country were selected by quota-controlled sampling; the total sample was of 15 239 persons (7162 males and 8077 females). Data were weighted by population size for each country and by age, gender and regional distribution within countries.

Results

Overall 27% of men and 35% of women reported not engaging in any form of recreational activity; rates were highest in those with a primary-level education (37% men, 43% women) compared with tertiary-level education (20% men, 25% women). Recreational activity levels declined with age and tended to be lowest in those who were more physically active at work. Eighteen per cent of respondents believed that physical activity was one of the two greatest influences on health; 13% mentioned body weight, 38% mentioned food, 41% mentioned smoking and 33% mentioned stress. Logistic regression was used to assess for the effects of gender, age, educational level, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, activity level and country on beliefs that body weight and physical activity influenced health. Primary-educated, overweight, ex- and non-smoking women were most likely to mention body weight as an influence; young tertiary-educated, thinner, non-smoking and active males were most likely to mention physical activity. There was wide variation across Europe in reported behaviour and beliefs, which persisted after taking account of all of the other factors in the regression model.

Conclusions

Relatively few people in some countries believed body weight and physical activity were important influences on health. Many people mentioned stress and it might be possible to use this interest to motivate changes in physical activity to relieve stress. It may be important to take a more integrated approach to activity patterns that consider the role of work and recreation. Although social and demographic factors were important, after adjusting for these factors there was still wide between-country variation in reported attitudes, beliefs and behaviour. This will need to be taken into account in any activity promotion campaigns.

Keywords

Physical activityBody weightPerceptionsAttitudesEuropean Union

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 2 , Supplement 1a , January 1999 , pp. 97 - 103
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 1999

References

1World Health Organization. Obesity. Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic. Report of a WHO consultation on obesity. Geneva: WHO, 1998.Google Scholar
2Manson, JE, Willett, WC, Stampfer, MJ. Body weight and mortality among women. N. Engl. J. Med. 1995; 333: 677–85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Williamson, DF. Dietary intake and physical activity as ‘predictors’ of weight gain in observational, prospective studies. Nutr. Rev. 1996; 54: S101–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Cowburn, G, Hillsdon, M, Hankey, CR. Obesity management by lifestyle strategies. Br. Med. Bull. 1997; 53: 389–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5Prentice, AM, Jebb, SA. Obesity in Britain: gluttony or sloth. BMJ 1995; 311: 437–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Eaton, CB, Menard, LM. A systematic review of physical activity promotion in primary acre settings. Br. J. Sports Med. 1998; 32: 11–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Hillsdon, M, Thorogood, M. A systematic review of physical activity promotion strategies. Br. J. Sports Med. 1996; 30: 84–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Haapanen, N, Milunpalo, S, Vuori, I, Oja, P, Pasanen, M. Association of leisure time physical activity with the risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension and diabetes in middle-aged men and women. Int. J. Epidemiol. 1997; 26: 739–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Van Mechelen, W. Can running injuries be effectively prevented? Sports Med. 1995; 19: 161–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Young, DR, Haskell, WL, Taylor, CB, Fortmann, SP. Effect of community health education on physical activity knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour. The Stanford Five-City Project. Am. J. Epidemiol. 1996; 144: 264–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11Kearney, JM, Kearney, MJ, McElhone, S, Gibney, MJ. Methods used to conduct the pan-European Union survey on consumer attitudes to physical activity, body weight and health. Public Health Nutr. 1999; 2: 79–86.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12Moser, CA, Kalton, G. Survey Methods in Social Investigation, 2nd edn.London: Heineman Educational Books, 1971.Google Scholar
13Wareham, NJ, Hennings, SJ, Byrne, CD, Hales, CN, Prentice, AM, Day, NE. A quantitative analysis of the relationship between habitual energy expenditure, fitness and the metabolic cardiovascular syndrome. Br. J. Nutr. 1998; 80: 235–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Exercise and physical activity for older adults. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 1998; 30: 992–1008.Google Scholar
15American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. The recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness, and flexibility in healthy adults. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 1998; 30: 955–91.Google Scholar
16Booth, ML, Bauman, A, Owen, N, Gore, CJ. Physical activity preference, preferred sources of assistance, and perceived barriers to increased activity among physically inactive Australians. Prev. Med. 1997; 26: 131–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed