Factors Associated With Leisure-Time Physical Activity During the Postpandemic Period in a Lower-Middle-Income Country.

Abstract

Background: Physical activity and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) are crucial for maintaining overall health particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. In this study, we aimed to identify the sociodemographic, environmental, and lifestyle factors associated with LTPA in a lower-middle-income country after the lockdown.

Method: We used secondary data from the Bolivian EH2021 National Survey with an expansion factor (N = 6,498,630) to calculate crude and adjusted Odds Ratios for performing LTPA and performing LTPA more than once a week.

Results: Performing LTPA was positively associated with being male, younger, living with fewer people, having a higher income and educational level, and performing physical activity for transportation and daily activities. Performing LTPA more than once a week was associated with sex, age, occupation, marital status, household income, and other sociodemographic and lifestyle-related variables. Environmental factors, such as neighborhood safety, usage of private paid infrastructure, green areas, and house spaces were significantly associated with LTPA performance.

Conclusions: Specific sociodemographic, lifestyle and environmental factors are associated with LTPA performance among the Bolivian population; monitoring and intervention with groups at higher risk of sedentarism based on these socioenvironmental and behavioral factors are encouraged. Our study has important implications for addressing the lack of evidence for underrepresented low- and middle-income countries and highlighting social inequalities that hinder LTPA during crisis times from an integral perspective to enhance prevention and health promotion programs based on physical activity and LTPA.