Trends in social inequality in physical inactivity among Danish adolescents 1991–2014

The aim of this study was to investigate social inequality in physical inactivity among adolescents from 1991 to 2014 and to describe any changes in inequality during this period. The analyses were based on data from the Danish part of the HBSC study, which consists of seven comparable cross-section...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: N.F. Johnsen, M. Toftager, O. Melkevik, B.E. Holstein, M. Rasmussen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2017-12-01
Series:SSM: Population Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827316301288
id doaj-552da4b0a724431abb2a2238609d0d59
record_format Article
spelling doaj-552da4b0a724431abb2a2238609d0d592020-11-24T22:36:28ZengElsevierSSM: Population Health2352-82732017-12-013C53453810.1016/j.ssmph.2017.04.003Trends in social inequality in physical inactivity among Danish adolescents 1991–2014N.F. Johnsen0M. Toftager1O. Melkevik2B.E. Holstein3M. Rasmussen4National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, DenmarkNational Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353 Copenhagen K, DenmarkNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Lersø Parkallé 105, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, DenmarkNational Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353 Copenhagen K, DenmarkNational Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Øster Farimagsgade 5A, 1353 Copenhagen K, DenmarkThe aim of this study was to investigate social inequality in physical inactivity among adolescents from 1991 to 2014 and to describe any changes in inequality during this period. The analyses were based on data from the Danish part of the HBSC study, which consists of seven comparable cross-sectional studies of nationally representative samples of 11–15-year old adolescents. The available data consisted of weekly time (hours) spent on vigorous physical activity and parental occupation from 30,974 participants. In summary, 8.0% of the adolescents reported to be physically inactive, i.e. spend zero hours of vigorous leisure time physical activity per week. The proportion of physically inactive adolescents was 5.4% in high social class and 7.8% and 10.8%, respectively, in middle and low social class. The absolute social inequality measured as prevalence difference between low and high social class did not change systematically across the observation period from 1991 to 2014. Compared to high social class, OR (95% CI) for physical inactivity was 1.48 (1.32–1.65) in middle social class and 2.18 (1.92–2.47) in lower social class. This relative social inequality was similar in the seven data collection waves (p=0.971). Although the gap in physical inactivity between social classes does not seem to be widening in Danish adolescents, there are still considerable differences in the activity levels between high, middle and low social class adolescents. Consequently, there is a need for a targeted physical activity intervention among adolescents from low (and middle) social class.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827316301288ChildrenAdolescentsSocial inequalityPhysical inactivityTrend
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author N.F. Johnsen
M. Toftager
O. Melkevik
B.E. Holstein
M. Rasmussen
spellingShingle N.F. Johnsen
M. Toftager
O. Melkevik
B.E. Holstein
M. Rasmussen
Trends in social inequality in physical inactivity among Danish adolescents 1991–2014
SSM: Population Health
Children
Adolescents
Social inequality
Physical inactivity
Trend
author_facet N.F. Johnsen
M. Toftager
O. Melkevik
B.E. Holstein
M. Rasmussen
author_sort N.F. Johnsen
title Trends in social inequality in physical inactivity among Danish adolescents 1991–2014
title_short Trends in social inequality in physical inactivity among Danish adolescents 1991–2014
title_full Trends in social inequality in physical inactivity among Danish adolescents 1991–2014
title_fullStr Trends in social inequality in physical inactivity among Danish adolescents 1991–2014
title_full_unstemmed Trends in social inequality in physical inactivity among Danish adolescents 1991–2014
title_sort trends in social inequality in physical inactivity among danish adolescents 1991–2014
publisher Elsevier
series SSM: Population Health
issn 2352-8273
publishDate 2017-12-01
description The aim of this study was to investigate social inequality in physical inactivity among adolescents from 1991 to 2014 and to describe any changes in inequality during this period. The analyses were based on data from the Danish part of the HBSC study, which consists of seven comparable cross-sectional studies of nationally representative samples of 11–15-year old adolescents. The available data consisted of weekly time (hours) spent on vigorous physical activity and parental occupation from 30,974 participants. In summary, 8.0% of the adolescents reported to be physically inactive, i.e. spend zero hours of vigorous leisure time physical activity per week. The proportion of physically inactive adolescents was 5.4% in high social class and 7.8% and 10.8%, respectively, in middle and low social class. The absolute social inequality measured as prevalence difference between low and high social class did not change systematically across the observation period from 1991 to 2014. Compared to high social class, OR (95% CI) for physical inactivity was 1.48 (1.32–1.65) in middle social class and 2.18 (1.92–2.47) in lower social class. This relative social inequality was similar in the seven data collection waves (p=0.971). Although the gap in physical inactivity between social classes does not seem to be widening in Danish adolescents, there are still considerable differences in the activity levels between high, middle and low social class adolescents. Consequently, there is a need for a targeted physical activity intervention among adolescents from low (and middle) social class.
topic Children
Adolescents
Social inequality
Physical inactivity
Trend
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827316301288
work_keys_str_mv AT nfjohnsen trendsinsocialinequalityinphysicalinactivityamongdanishadolescents19912014
AT mtoftager trendsinsocialinequalityinphysicalinactivityamongdanishadolescents19912014
AT omelkevik trendsinsocialinequalityinphysicalinactivityamongdanishadolescents19912014
AT beholstein trendsinsocialinequalityinphysicalinactivityamongdanishadolescents19912014
AT mrasmussen trendsinsocialinequalityinphysicalinactivityamongdanishadolescents19912014
_version_ 1725720133551259648