Physical activity dependent on cost and climate: study

Thomas Wagner, the Gateway (University of Alberta)

EDMONTON (CUP) — A new study by Brad Humphreys, a University of Alberta economist, suggests that people decide how much they exercise, and how, depending on how much it costs them.

The study surveyed over 275,000 people across the United States and found that walking was by far the most common form of physical activity, at 57 per cent of respondents. By comparison, only 15 per cent of those surveyed participated in group sports such as hockey or basketball. According to Humphreys, the discrepancy is a direct result of cost. “[Walking] takes very little equipment. All you’ve got to have is a pair of walking shoes and workout clothes if you’re going to be outside,” Humphreys said. “Compare that to, say, the equipment you have to have to participate in hockey.”

Humphreys added that gender also influenced participation levels in physical activity. “Females were less likely to participate in physical activity than males, for example, which is probably because females spend a lot more time in child-rearing and child-care, and home production like cooking and cleaning,” he said. The elderly were also less likely to engage in physical activity or exercise for long periods of time. Humphreys said that this is likely a result of the increasing physical effects of age on the body.

Although Humphreys was not surprised by most of his findings, there was one unexpected pattern. The study found that, on average, African Americans spend two hours more per week in group sports than Caucasians, while Hispanics spend an hour and a half more.

The study drew a number of conclusions about government promotion of exercise and physical activity as well. Because parks and recreation spending only increases participation in group sports — activities that only 15 per cent of the population participate in — that spending is actually very poor at promoting physical activity throughout the population. Humphreys also suggested that if governments are serious about getting people active, they must take into account the reasons behind varying participation levels and tailor programs to people’s needs. He suggested setting up day-care programs so that women have the free time to exercise.

Although the study was conducted in the United States, Humphreys said that the conclusions are still relevant for Canada, except for one key difference: climate. “We know when these people were surveyed during the calendar year, and people who were surveyed in months during winter were less likely to participate in physical activity, just because of climatic factors. And because winter is longer in Canada, and colder, we might expect the effects of climate on physical activity, and temperature, to be more important here in Canada.”