Socioeconomic gradient in physical activity: findings from the PERSIAN cohort study

1Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.

2Social Development and Health Promotion Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.

3School of Health Administration, Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada.

4Nutritional Sciences Department, School of Public Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.

5Department of Public Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.

6Modeling in Health Research Center, Institute for Future Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.

7Liver and Pancreatobiliary Disease Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

8Liver, Pancreatic, and Biliary Diseases Research Center, Digestive Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

9Liver and Gastrointestinal Diseases Research center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

10Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

11Digestive Disease Research Center, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

12Health Sciences Research center, Addiction Institute, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

13Molecular Medicine Research Center, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran.

14Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.

15Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.

16Modeling in Health Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran.

17Traditional and Complementary Medicine Research Center, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.

18Department of Radiology, Medical School, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.

19Gastrointestinal and Liver Diseases Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.

20Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.

21Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmaceutical Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

22Department of Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

23Department of Medical Informatics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

24Health Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

25Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.

26Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.

27Research Center for Environmental Determinants of Health (RCEDH), Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. farid_n32@yahoo.com.

bmc public health

Abstract

Background: The level of socioeconomic-related inequality in physical activity in Iran is largely unknown. This study investigates socioeconomic-related inequality in poor-physical activity (PPA) among Iranian adults.

Methods: A total of 129,257 adult participants enrolled in the PERSIAN (Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in IrAN) Cohort were included in this study. Physical activity of adults was measured using metabolic equivalent rates (METs). Physical activity less than 41 METs/hour/day was considered PPA. The Concentration index (C) was used to quantify socioeconomic-related inequality in PPA. Moreover, the C was decomposed to identify the relative contribution of explanatory variables to inequality in PPA.

Results: There were significant regional variations in physical activity level among Iranian adults (29.8-76.5%). The positive value of C (0.098, 95% CI = 0.092 to 0.104) suggested that the higher concentration of PPA among higher socioeconomic status (SES) adults in Iran which was consistently observed in all cohort sites.

Conclusions: The higher prevalence of PPA among Iranian adults, especially, women and older adults, warrant further public health attention. Since PPA is concentrated more among the high-SES population in Iran, strategies for the promotion of physical activity should focus more on economically well-off population.

Keywords: Inequality; Iran; PERSIAN; Physical activity; Socioeconomic status.

How to Cite

Kazemi Karyani A, Karmi Matin B, Soltani S, Rezaei S, Soofi M, Salimi Y, Moradinazar M, Hajizadeh M, Pasdar Y, Hamzeh B, Barzegar L, Haghdoost AA, Malekzadeh R, Poustchi H, Mohammadi Z, Faramarzi E, Safarpour AR, Pourfarzi F, Moosazadeh M, Nejatizadeh A, Farjam M, Vahabzadeh D, Ahmadi A, Ghorat F, Ahmadi J, Mansour-Ghanaei F, Mirjalili MR, Eslami S, Maharlouei N, Tabatabaei SM, Sarvandian S, Najafi F. Socioeconomic gradient in physical activity: findings from the PERSIAN cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2019 Oct 21;19(1):1312. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7715-z. PMID: 31638932; PMCID: PMC6802340.