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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Is economic environment associated with the physical activity levels and obesity in Chinese adults? A cross-sectional study of 30 regions in China

Authors: Mei Wang, Xu Wen, Yanfeng Zhang, Chongmin Jiang, Fubaihui Wang

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Based on the 2014 survey of physical activity and physical fitness data of 20 − 69 year old Chinese, this study aims to investigate the relationship between economic development and people’s physical activity in China.

Methods

A total of 43,389 adults from 30 different regions in mainland China were recruited. The GDP per capita of the 30 regions were determined based on the 2013 annual statistical report released by the national bureau of statistics of China and provincial level statistics bureaus. A questionnaire was used to determine the participants’ exercise frequency, duration, and intensity.

Results

For the 30 regions surveyed, the correlation coefficients between GDP per capita and weekly activity were 0.23 for men and 0.15 for women. The correlation coefficients between GDP per capita and obesity rates were 0.52 for men and 0.39 for women.

Conclusions

Although people in economically advanced regions in China currently engage in more physical activities than those in less economically developed regions, overweight and obesity persist as serious problems.
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Metadata
Title
Is economic environment associated with the physical activity levels and obesity in Chinese adults? A cross-sectional study of 30 regions in China
Authors
Mei Wang
Xu Wen
Yanfeng Zhang
Chongmin Jiang
Fubaihui Wang
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-017-4699-4

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