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Review
. 2014 Jan;15 Suppl 1(0 1):27-36.
doi: 10.1111/obr.12127.

The physical activity transition among adults in China: 1991-2011

S W Ng  1 , A-G Howard, H J Wang, C Su, B Zhang
Affiliations
Review

The physical activity transition among adults in China: 1991-2011

S W Ng et al. Obes Rev. 2014 Jan.

Abstract

Previous studies have linked work, home production, travel activities and inactivity with weight and health outcomes. However, these focused on average physical activity (PA) over time rather than changes in PA and associated sociodemographic and economic factors and urbanicity. Using the 1991-2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey data, we estimated the metabolic equivalent of task hours per week for individuals in occupational, domestic, travel and active leisure domains and sedentary hours per week. We present the distributions among adult men and women (aged 18-60), and use quantile regression models to explore factors associated with these trends. Trend analyses on the distribution of PA show declines along the whole distribution of occupational PA for men and women and domestic PA for women in China. These patterns remain consistent after adjusting for individual- and household-level factors. Controlling for urbanicity mitigated the decrease in occupational PA, particularly for men, but not the decrease in domestic PA. Given China's rapid urbanization and its association with occupational PA declines and the strong time trend in domestic PA, there is a need to invest in interventions and policies that promote PA during leisure and travel times.

Keywords: China; Physical activity; distribution; quantile regression.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Average trends in occupational, domestic, travel, and active leisure PA (in MET hours per week) and sedentary leisure time among adults in China, 1991–2011 a. Males b. Females
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of occupational PA among adults in China for waves 1991, 1997, 2004, and 2011 a. Male Occupational Physical Activity b. Female Occupational Physical Activity
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of domestic PA among adults in China for waves 1991, 1997, 2004, and 2011 a. Male Domestic Physical Activity b. Female Domestic Physical Activity
Figure 4
Figure 4
Estimated annual MET hours per week change in occupational PA among adults in China from quantile regression models 1–3 a. Male Occupational Physical Activity b. Female Occupational Physical Activity
Figure 5
Figure 5
Estimated annual MET hours per week change in domestic PA among adults in China from quantile regression models 1–3 a. Male Domestic Physical Activity b. Female Domestic Physical Activity
Figure 6
Figure 6
Average trends in occupational, domestic, travel, and active leisure PA (in MET hours per week) and sedentary leisure time (hours per week) among adults by locality in 2011
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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