Tesis doctoral: Determinantes de la actividad física en adultos de la región de Madrid

Abstract

One of the main objectives about health for all advanced societies is to increase physical activity levels among population and develop effective strategies and policies in order to remove the barriers in physical activity practice. As a basis for the design of such policies and strategies, several authors have expressed the need to know the physical activity patterns of the population and its main determinant. That means to analyse those factors that are associated with physical activity levels or contribute to predict. The main objective of this thesis was to analyse patterns of physical activity in adult population from Madrid, as well as some of its main determinants: socio-demographic population characteristics, motivation and perceived barriers associated to practice, tobacco consume and physical and social characteristics of the environment of residence. We develop two descriptive and transversal different studies, using a questionnaire administered by personal interview (Study 1) or elephone (Study 2) as a technique for data collection. Both studies were carried out on samples of adults who lived in Madrid region. The first involved a sample of 625 people with an age between 15 and 69 years old, the second with a sample of 1500 people with an age between 15-74 years old. In order to select the samples were applied a stratified random sampling, with a proportional allocation structured by sex, age and geographical area of residence. Results obtained suggest that the practice of sport and physical activity during leisure time is relation with playful and recreational and it´s directed to health care and about to present a good appearance. On the other hand, smoke behaviour and physical activity show a lower relationship, registering higher rates of physical inactivity during leisure time among smokers. Moreover, results show that four out of five adults lived in Madrid region reach minimum recommendations for physical activity. However, when considering only the physical activity in leisure time, only one out of three people quoted reaches minimum. Finally, the characteristics of the residential environment appear to be related in different way to physical activity, especially when compared physical activity in leisure time with the total practice of physical activity on all or with the physical activity associated to a displacement.