Trends in physical activity over eleven years in a Swiss urban area

Idris Guessous, Jean-Michel Gaspoz, Jean-Marc Theler, Bengt Kayser.
Eleven-year physical activity trends in a Swiss urban areaFebruary 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2013.11.005

Abstract

Objective: Regular physical activity is a major determinant of health. Little is known about trends in physical activity. We therefore assessed whether the physical activity levels of adults were changing in an urban Swiss canton (Geneva).

Method: We analysed trends in physical activity indicators over eleven years, including minutes equivalent to an energy expenditure of 3+MET-minutes (a metabolic measure of physical activity intensity) per week and physical activity outside working hours, in adults representative of the population (n=9320, aged 35 to 74, 50% women), by associating self-reported physical activity with socio-economic status, lifestyle, and clinical and blood markers.

Results : By combining the annual cohorts from 1999 to 2009, we observed a significant trend towards increasing levels of physical activity. The 3+MET-minutes per week, adjusted for age and sex, increased from 3023 to 3752 between 1999 and 2009 (P=0.02). The increase also concerned physical activity outside working hours (+18 kcal/day/year). There was a shift from lower to higher levels of physical activity. Physical activity indicators were associated with socio-economic status, co-morbidities, and biological and anthropometric measurements. The trend towards increased physical activity was most marked in the last five years of the study.

Conclusion: We found an increase in physical activity levels in the urban canton of Geneva, Switzerland. The increase is significant, but remains slight, so further efforts to promote physical activity appear justified.

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