Abstract
Objectives: Regular walking is associated with many health benefits and is of particular interest for the promotion of daily physical activity. The purpose of this study is to describe the epidemiology of walking for exercise among Canadian adults aged 18–55 years.
Methods: Nationally representative cross-sectional data from the National Population Health Survey and Canadian Community Health Survey from 1994/95 to 2007 were used for this study. The weighted and age-standardized prevalence of walking for exercise, walking duration, regular walking (at least 4 times a week) and deriving 100% of the total leisure-time physical activity energy expenditure (LTPAEE) from walking were calculated.
Results: Overall, 70% of Canadian adults walked for exercise at least once during the previous three months; however, only 30% of the population reported walking regularly, a figure that has remained relatively stable since 2001. Women, older adults, those with lower body mass index (BMI) and those with lower total household income reported regular walking more often than their counterparts. Women, older adults and lower-income Canadians also tended to derive 100% of their total LTPAEE from walking more often than men, young adults and those in higher-income groups.
Conclusion: Walking is a popular physical activity for Canadian adults, regardless of age, sex, BMI or income group, however, the prevalence of regular walking varies between demographic subgroups. Public health strategies that focus on promoting walking for exercise should consider these results when defining target audiences and designing interventions.
Keywords: Walking, leisure-time, physical activity, energy expenditure, Canadian Community Health Survey, National Population Health Survey
Résumé
Associée à de nombreux bienfaits pour la santé, la marche régulière présente un intérêt particulier pour la promotion de l’activité physique quotidienne. Cette étude vise à décrire l’épidémiologie de la marche de santé chez les adultes canadiens de 18 à 55 ans.
Méthode: Les données transversales de l’Enquête nationale sur la santé de la population et de l’Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes de 1994–1995 à 2007, qui représentent le pays entier, ont été utilisées pour cette étude. Nous avons calculé la prévalence, pondérée et standardisée selon l’âge, de la marche de santé, de la durée de la marche, de la marche régulière (au moins 4 fois par semaine) et de la dépense d’énergie totale pour l’activité physique durant les loisirs venant de la marche.
Résultats: Dans l’ensemble, 70 % des adultes canadiens avaient marché pour faire de l’exercice au moins une fois pendant les trois mois précédents; cependant, seulement 30 % de la population disait marcher régulièrement. Les femmes, les adultes âgés, les personnes ayant un faible indice de masse corporelle et les personnes ayant un faible revenu total du ménage ont dit marcher régulièrement plus souvent que les autres répondants. Les femmes, les adultes âgés et les Canadiens à faible revenu avaient aussi plus souvent tendance à dépenser l’énergie totale de l’activité physique en marchant comparativement aux hommes, aux jeunes adultes et aux personnes ayant un revenu élevé.
Conclusion: La marche est une activité physique populaire chez les adultes canadiens, peu importe l’âge, le sexe, l’indice de masse corporelle et le groupe de revenu; cependant la prévalence de la marche régulière varie d’un segment démographique à l’autre. Les stratégies de promotion de la marche devraient en tenir compte pour définir leur public cible et concevoir leurs interventions.
Mots clés: marche, loisirs, activité physique, dépense d’énergie, Enquête sur la santé dans les collectivités canadiennes, Enquête nationale sur la santé de la population
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