Influence of leisure-time physical activity constraints on physical activity participation of working-class individuals: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Constraints to leisure-time physical activity (PA) have been studied by many researchers all over the world. However, these studies were based on prevalence and were not able to determine the impact of these constraints among working-class individuals. The current study was conducted to determine the impact and influence of leisure-time PA constraints (LTPACs) on PA participation of working-class individuals. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 401 participants was conducted. PA levels were measured using the International PA Questionnaire. LTPACs were measured using the Leisure Constraints Questionnaire. Binomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the influence of the constraint variables on PA. Results: The results indicated that 34.4% of the participants were sufficiently active and 65.6% of the participants were not physically active. The predictor constraints explained 68.1% of the variability in PA (Nagelkerke R2=0.681). The most significant predictors were lack of friends (odds ratio [OR] =8.360, confidence interval [CI] =6.671–10.468), lack of time due to work (OR = 8.313, CI = 6.633–10.419), lack of interest (OR = 2.190, CI = 1.161–4.121), lack of knowledge (OR = 1.360, CI = 1.049–1.764), and inadequate facilities (OR = 1.181, CI = 1.083–1.276). Conclusion: LTPACs were reported to be endemic among working-class individuals. These constraints need to be highly considered when health-care policies are being developed to ensure good health and longevity of workers.