Assessing physical activity inequality: which measure is better to identify the most vulnerable population?
Abstract Overview
Background: Inequality in access and opportunity is a predominant factor affecting PA participation. However, the evidence of PA inequality is mostly focused on the disparities in the level of MVPA.
Purpose: This study assessed PA inequality by using three measures to construct an inequality index: (1) Proportion of the population with sufficient MVPA; (2) Cumulative minutes of MVPA; and (3) The Gini coefficient.
Methods: Three rounds of data from Thailand’s Surveillance on Physical Activity (SPA) 2019–2021 were employed. In each round, over 6,000 individuals aged 18–64 years were included in the analysis. PA was measured subjectively by using GPAQ version 2.0. PA inequality was constructed by using three measures, with a combination of the three as the final index, to identify the sub-groups of the Thai adults who are most vulnerable.
Results: The three measures provided a different group of vulnerable population in different periods of the COVID-19 epidemic. Within-group analysis suggested the gap in the proportion of sufficient MVPA and cumulative minutes MVPA was the largest between those employed in the agricultural sector and the unemployed: Δ 17.3% vs 15.2%; 275 min vs 199 min in 2020 and 2021, respectively. The refined index identified the most vulnerable groups as follows: (1) Those with no income; (2) The unemployed; (3) Those who have no access to PA facilities; (4) Older adults aged 60+years; and (5) Those earning<3,500 Baht per month.
Conclusion: Socioeconomic inequalities in PA was more profound than biologically driven inequalities during the pandemic, indicated by the lowest level of MVPA among socioeconomically deprived population.
Practical implications: The refined index should aid better in determining the most vulnerable groups of the population. This method can be applied in various settings since the baseline data used to assess inequality are widely available.
Funding: Thai Health Promotion Foundation
Additional Authors
Name: Piyawat Katewongsa
Affiliation: Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand
Presenting Author: yes
Name: Dyah Anantalia Widyastari
Affiliation: Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Thailand
Presenting Author: no
Information
Study Type: Measurement or surveillance
Subtheme: Inequalities
Population Group: Adults
Setting: Community
Submitting Author
Piyawat Katewongsa
Associate Professor, PhD., Director of TPAK
Thailand Physical Activity Knowledge Development Centre (TPAK)
Thailand
