Physical Activity in the Southern Great Plain Region of Hungary: The Role of Sociodemographics and Body Mass Index

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 18; no. 23; p. 12414
• Main Authors: Győri, Ferenc, Berki, Tamás, Katona, Zoltán, Vári, Beáta, Katona, Zsolt, Petrovszki, Zita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.11.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Adult; Body mass; Body Mass Index; Body size; Chi-square test; Data collection; Education; Educational Status; Exercise; Female; Gender; Gender aspects; Humans; Hungary - epidemiology; Income; Male; Older people; Overweight; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Population; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Sex differences; Sociodemographics; Socioeconomic factors; Statistical analysis; Statistical tests; Surveys and Questionnaires; Womens health; Hungary; Southern Great Plain; Hungary; IPAQ; sociodemographic; physical activity
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312414

This study explores the level of physical activity and its associations with sociodemographics and body mass index (BMI) in the Southern Great Plain region of Hungary. A total of 1648 adults (Men = 572; Women = 1076) were involved in this study. Their mean age was 43.0 (SD = 15.3), and they were recruited at different face-to-face events from July 2018 to January 2019. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess physical activity, and the participants were asked different questions related to their sociodemographics (e.g., education, income) and physical attributes (e.g., height, weight). Additionally, a descriptive statistical, chi-square test was used the see the gender differences, and multinominal regression analysis was used to see the associations between gender, age, place of residence, education, income, BMI, and physical activity levels. Our analysis showed that 19.2% of the sample had a low-, 41.1% had a moderate-, and 39.7% had a high level of physical activity. Furthermore, a high and a moderate level of physical activity were associated with gender, age, residence, education, and BMI. We believe this present study helps understand the role of physical activity in health through the example of the Southern Great Plain region of Hungary, which can provide useful information for experts to increase participation in regular physical activity.