Medical & Clinical Research

Author(s): Gafarov VV, Panov DO1,2, Gromova EA, Krymov EA, Gagulin IV and Gafarova AV

The aim: To determine gender differences in the dynamic of attitude toward physical activity in an open population of 25-64 years over a long-term period - 29 years in Russia / Siberia (Novosibirsk).

Methods: Within the framework of the screening in 1988-89 under the WHO MONICA-psychosocial (MOPSY) program (n=1676, 49.5% males, mean age 44.1±0.4 years), in 2003-2005 under the international project HAPIEE (n=1650, 34.9% males, mean age 54.25±0.2 years), in 2013-2016 (n=975, 43.8% males, mean age 34.5±0,4 years) and 2016-2017 (n=663, 41.3% years 51.95±0.32 years) within the framework of the budgetary theme No. AAAA-A17-117112850280-2, random representative samples of men and women in one of districts in Novosibirsk were examined. Physical activity assessed by questionnaire proposed by MONICA-MOPSY protocol.

Results: Men were 2 times more likely than women to report that they did not need to do physical exercises in 1988. In 2013- 2016, the proportion of young men and women who regularly did physical exercises increased significantly: 28.7% and 21.4%, respectively. In 2017, this trend continued among women but there were fewer men who regularly train. 59.9% of men and 73.1% of women aged 25-64 in 1988 reported “failed” attempts to exercise regularly. By 2017, the share of such men has not changed but for women it decreased to 7%. Women more often than men (30.3% vs 24.6%) spent their leisure time physically actively in 1988. By 2017, there was a tendency towards an increase in women aged 25-34 years with passive pastime to 21.1% and among men their share did not change. In 1988, the proportion of those who became less mobile during the year increased linearly with age, reaching 31.5% for men and 38.8% for women 55-64 years old. In 2017, the proportion of men and women who became less mobile decreased in comparison with 1988 and 2003 (11.6% and 22.2%, respectively; p <0.05). In 1988, women more often than men considered themselves insufficiently active. In 2013-2017, individuals of both sexes began to report more often that they are physically more active than other people of their own age. Males aged of 25-44 years considered themselves as active more often than females. But in the older age groups there was an increase in physical activity among women.

Conclusions: There is an essential decline in physical activity with age but trends in self-rated levels of physical activity show a steady increase from 1988 to 2017, predominantly in women.