Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T18:11:28.404Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Perceived benefits and barriers to physical activity in a nationally representative sample in the European Union

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Hans-Joachim Franz Zunft ,
Dietlinde Friebe ,
Brigitte Seppelt ,
Kurt Widhalm ,
Anne-Marie Remaut de Winter ,
Maria Daniel Vaz de Almeida ,
John M Kearney  and
Michael Gibney
Hans-Joachim Franz Zunft
Affiliation:
German Institute of Human Nutrition, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, D-14558 Bergholz-Rehbruecke, Germany
Dietlinde Friebe
Affiliation:
German Institute of Human Nutrition, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, D-14558 Bergholz-Rehbruecke, Germany
Brigitte Seppelt
Affiliation:
German Institute of Human Nutrition, Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, D-14558 Bergholz-Rehbruecke, Germany
Kurt Widhalm
Affiliation:
University Kinderklinik, Wahringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
Anne-Marie Remaut de Winter
Affiliation:
University of GhentFaculty of Agricultural and Applied Biological Science, CISNA/ICFSN, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
Maria Daniel Vaz de Almeida
Affiliation:
Curso de Ciencias da Nutricao, R Dr Roberto Frias, 4000-Porto, Portugal
John M Kearney
Affiliation:
Institute of European Food Studies, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
Michael Gibney
Affiliation:
Institute of European Food Studies, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective

To examine the attitudes of consumers, in particular their perceived benefits and barriers to physical activity from all EU member states, and having a measure of prevailing levels of activity, inactivity and self-reported body weight and body shape.

Design

Cross-sectional survey using an interview-assisted face-to-face questionnaire.

Setting

The survey was conducted between March and April 1997 in the 15 member states of the EU.

Subjects

Overall, 15 239 EU subjects, classified according to sex, age (six levels) and highest level of education attained (primary, secondary or tertiary), completed the survey. Sample selection of subjects in each EU member state was quota-controlled to ensure they were nationally representative.

Results

The most important motivation for people to participate in physical activity is to maintain good health (42%), to release tension (30%) and to get fit (30%). The importance of the health argument is highest in older persons and in subjects with a primary education level. Only 13% of the EU population (16% of women, 10% of men) perceived losing weight as a benefit of physical exercise. The most important barriers to increase physical activity are work or study commitments (28%) and the subjects' belief that they are not ‘the sporty type’ (25%). There is considerable between-country variation in the answering pattern within the EU.

Keywords

Physical activityExerciseSportsHealthBody weightBody shapeConsumer attitudesMotivationBenefitsBarriers
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 2 , Supplement 1a , January 1999 , pp. 153 - 160
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 1999

References

1Kuczmarski, RJ, Flegal, KM, Campbell, SM, Johnson, CL. Increasing prevalence of overweight among US adults. JAMA 1994; 272: 205–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Seidell, JC. Obesity in Europe: scaling an epidemic. Int. J. Obes. 1995; 19: S1–4.Google ScholarPubMed
3Biesalski, HK, Liebermeister, H, Remke, H, Lehnert, H. Langzeittherapie des Übergewichtes—Effiziente therapeutische Ansätze und Prognose. Akt. Ernähr. Med. 1992; 17: 1–6.Google Scholar
4Zelasko, CJ, Exercise for weight loss: what are the facts? J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1995; 95: 1415–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Fairburn, CG, Cooper, F. New perspectives on dietary and behavioral treatments for obesity. Int. J. Obes. 1996; 20: S9–13.Google Scholar
6Hauner, D, Hauner, H. Leichter durchs Leben. Ratgeber für Übergewichtige. Strategien zum langfristigen Abnehmen. Stuttgart: Georg Thieme Verlag, 1996.Google Scholar
7Calfas, KJ, Long, BJ, Sallins, JF, Wooten, W, Pratt, M, Patric, K. A controlled trial of physical counselling to promote the adoption of physical activity. Prev. Med. 1996; 25: 225–43.Google Scholar
8Cowburn, G, Hillsdon, M, Hankey, CR. Obesity management by lifestyle strategies. Br. Med. Bull. 1997; 53: 389–408.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Prentice, AM. Obesity—the inevitable penalty of civilisation? Br. Med. Bull. 1997; 53: 229–37.Google Scholar
10Gill, T. Key issues in the prevention of obesity. Br. Med. Bull. 1997; 53: 359–88.Google Scholar
11Sallis, JF, Hovell, MF, Hofstetter, CR, et al. A multivariate study of determinants of vigorous exercise in a community sample. Prev. Med. 1989; 18: 20–34.Google Scholar
12Blair, SN, Kohl, HW, Gordon, NF, Paffenbarger, RS. How much physical activity is good for health? Ann. Rev. Public Health 1992; 13: 99–126.Google Scholar
13Wilmore, JH. Increasing physical activity: alterations in body mass and composition. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1996; 63 (Suppl.): S456–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14Paffenbarger, RS. Physical activity, physical fitness, and coronary heart disease. In: Leaf, A, Weber, PC, eds. Atherosklerose Reviews, Vol. 21. New York: Raven Press, 1990; 35–41.Google Scholar
15Helmert, U, Herman, B, Shea, S. Moderate and vigorous leisure-time physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk factors in West Germany, 1984–1991. Int. J. Epidemiol. 1993; 24: 285–92.Google Scholar
16Mensink, GBM, Deketh, M, Mul, MDM, et al. Physical acitivity and its association with cardiovascular risk factors and mortality. Epidemiology 1996; 7: 391–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17Mensink, GBM. Movement and Circulation. Population Studies on Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Wageningen: Ponsen & Looijen BV, 1997.Google Scholar
18Lamb, KL, Roberts, K, Brodie, DA. Self-perceived health among sports participants and non-sports participants. Soc. Sci. Med. 1990; 31: 963–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19Fentem, PH. Benefits of exercise in health and disease. BMJ 1994; 308: 2–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20Flatt, JP. McCollum Award Lecture: Diet, lifestyle and weight maintenance. Am. J. Clin Nutr. 1995; 62: 820–36.Google Scholar
21Quinney, AH, Ganvin, L, Wall, TA, eds. Toward Active Living. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 1994.Google Scholar
22Johnson, NA, Boyle, CA, Heller, RF. Leisure-time physical activity and other health behaviours: are they related? Aust. J. Public Health 1995; 19: 69–75.Google Scholar
23Kearney, JM, Kearney, M, McElhone, S, Gibney, MJ. Methods used to conduct the pan-European Union survey on consumer attitudes to physical activity, body weight and health. Public Health Nutr. 1999; 2: 79–86.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24Duncan, JJ, Gordon, NF, Scott, CB. Women walking for health and fitness. How much is enough? JAMA 1991; 266: 3295–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25Vorrips, LE, van Staveren, WA, Hautvast, JGAJ. Are physically active elderly women in a better nutritional condition than their sedentary peers? Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 1991; 45: 545–52.Google Scholar
26Vaughan, L, Zurlo, F, Ravussin, E, Aging and energy expenditure. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1991; 53: 821–5.Google Scholar
27Reaven, PD, Barrett-Connor, E, Edelstein, S. Relation between leisure-time physical activity and blood pressure in older women. Circulation 1991; 83: 559–65.Google Scholar
28Owens, JF, Matthews, KA, Wing, RR, Kuller, LH. Can physical activity mitigate the effects of aging in middle-aged women? Circulation 1992; 85: 1265–70.Google Scholar
29Wagner, EH, LaCroix, Z. Effects of physical activity on health status in older adults. I: Observational studies. Annu. Rev. Public Health 1992; 13: 451–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30Fielding, RA. The role of progressive resistance training and nutrition in the preservation of lean body mass in the elderly. J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 1995; 14: 587–94.Google Scholar
31Bijnen, FCH, Feskens, EJM, Caspersen, CJ, et al. Physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors among elderly men in Finland, Italy, and the Netherlands. Am. J. Epidemiol. 1996; 143: 553–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32Van Mechelen, W. Can running injuries be effectively prevented? Sports Med. 1995; 19: 161–5.Google Scholar
33Sabha, A, Achterberg, C. Review of self-efficacy and focus of control for nutrition- and health-related behavior. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1997; 97: 1122–32.Google Scholar
34Pate, RR, Pratt, M, Blair, SN, et al. Physical activity and public health. A recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine. JAMA 1995; 273: 402–7.Google Scholar
35Cavill, N. National campaigns to promote physical activity: can they make a difference? Int. J. Obes. 1998; 22: S48–S51.Google Scholar
36Fentem, PH, Mockett, SJ. Physical activity and body composition: what do the national surveys reveal? Int. J. Obes. 1998; 22: S8–S14.Google Scholar