Table 1. Distribution of the characteristics of the studied sample, according to level of physical activity. Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil), 2015–2016.
| Variable | Total a | Level of weekly physical activity a | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||
| Recommended b | Not recommended | |||
| Age in years, mean (standard deviation) | 62.8 (9.7) | 61.6 (8.7) | 65.1 (11.0) | < 0.001 |
| Sex | ||||
| Female | 53.5 | 52.8 | 54.8 | 0.237 |
| Male | 46.5 | 47.2 | 45.2 | |
| Educational level in years | ||||
| < 4 | 31.4 | 27.3 | 39.8 | < 0.001 |
| 4 to 7 | 31.7 | 32.0 | 30.9 | |
| 8 or more | 36.9 | 40.7 | 29.3 | |
| Marital status | ||||
| Unmarried | 36.1 | 33.4 | 41.4 | < 0.001 |
| Married/Common-law marriage | 63.9 | 66.6 | 58.6 | |
| Race | ||||
| Non-white | 57.3 | 56.3 | 59.3 | 0.138 |
| White | 42.7 | 43.7 | 40.7 | |
| Number of chronic diseases | ||||
| Zero | 27.1 | 28.6 | 24.1 | < 0.001 |
| One | 33.1 | 33.5 | 32.2 | |
| Two or more | 39.8 | 37.9 | 43.7 | |
| Number of medical appointments in the past 12 months | ||||
| Zero | 16.7 | 16.9 | 16.5 | 0.205 |
| 1 to 2 | 34.4 | 35.2 | 32.8 | |
| 3 or more | 48,9 | 47.9 | 50.7 | |
| Knowledge and participation in a physical activity program | ||||
| No knowledge | 56.8 | 53.2 | 64.2 | < 0.001 |
| With knowledge, but no participation | 37.5 | 40.3 | 31.8 | |
| Knowledge and participation | 5.7 | 6.5 | 4.0 | |
a Values expressed as percentage, unless otherwise specified.
b Recommended level: at least 150 minutes/week, including walking and activities of moderate or vigorous intensity.