The socioeconomic patterning of physical activity among middle-aged and older adults in Canada using the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) data.

Objectives: To investigate the association between socioeconomic status (SES), using indicators of education and wealth, and meeting physical activity guidelines (PAG) (150 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (PA)) to evaluate whether socioeconomic inequalities exist in the practice of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA).

Methods: This is an analysis of cross-sectional data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (2012-2015), a nationally representative cohort of middle-aged and older Canadian adults (N = 25,113). Multivariable logistic regressions, stratified by age and sex groups, were performed to estimate how SES affects the likelihood of meeting PAG, adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and other health-related factors. We explored weight status as an effect modifier.

Results: The proportion of middle-aged and older adults meeting PAG was 21.2%. Respondents with wealth > $1 million were 50% more likely to meet PAG compared to those with wealth < $50,000 (males: OR = 1.47 [1.27, 1.72]; females: OR = 1.52 [1.28, 1.80]). Males with higher education were 15% less likely to meet PAG (OR = 0.85 [0.76, 0.94]) compared to those with less than post-secondary, whereas no significant association was observed among females (OR = 1.03 [0.92, 1.16]). When stratified by weight status, the association between wealth and meeting PAG was significantly stronger for normal-weight (OR = 1.50 [1.07, 2.09]) than overweight males (OR = 0.97 [0.81, 1.15]) of the lowest wealth group. Among females, the association was significantly stronger for those overweight (OR = 1.19 [1.02, 1.38]) compared to those normal-weight (OR = 1.17 [0.96, 1.42]) in the $100,000 to less than $1 million wealth group.

Conclusion: A need exists to remove wealth-related barriers of LTPA at the public health level for middle-aged and older adults, such as improving affordability and accessibility of recreational facilities. Longitudinal research is needed to establish causality, as is research on the underlying mechanisms of inactivity to influence change through policy action.