Changing educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults in Germany: a trend study from 2003 to 2012
Abstract Background Social inequalities in health can be explained in part by the social patterning of leisure-time physical activity, such as non-participation in sports. This study is the first to explore whether absolute and relative educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults ha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2017-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-017-4478-2 |
| _version_ | 1819052943543894016 |
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| author | Jens Hoebel Jonas D. Finger Benjamin Kuntz Lars E. Kroll Kristin Manz Cornelia Lange Thomas Lampert |
| author_facet | Jens Hoebel Jonas D. Finger Benjamin Kuntz Lars E. Kroll Kristin Manz Cornelia Lange Thomas Lampert |
| author_sort | Jens Hoebel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Social inequalities in health can be explained in part by the social patterning of leisure-time physical activity, such as non-participation in sports. This study is the first to explore whether absolute and relative educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults have changed in Germany since the early 2000s. Methods Data from four cross-sectional national health surveys conducted in 2003 (n = 6890), 2009 (n = 16,418), 2010 (n = 17,145) and 2012 (n = 13,744) were analysed. The study population was aged 25–69 years in each survey. Sporting inactivity was defined as no sports participation during the preceding 3 months. The regression-based Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII) were calculated to estimate the extent of absolute and relative educational inequalities in sporting inactivity, respectively. Results Sporting inactivity was consistently more prevalent in less-educated groups. The overall prevalence of sporting inactivity declined significantly over time. However, the decline was observed only in the high and medium education groups, while no change was observed in the low education group. Both absolute and relative educational inequalities in sporting inactivity were found to have widened significantly between 2003 (SII = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.25–0.35; RII = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.83–2.38) and 2012 (SII = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.37–0.45; RII = 3.44, 95% CI = 3.03–3.91). Interaction analysis showed that these increases in inequalities were larger in the younger population under the age of 50 than among the elderly. Conclusions The findings suggest that the gap in sports participation between adults with high and low educational attainment has widened in both absolute and relative terms because of an increase in sports participation among the better educated. Health-enhancing physical activity interventions specifically targeted to less-educated younger adults are needed to prevent future increases in social inequalities in health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:27:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f286fe4ecd8649c7bdf3251bcb66e984 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:27:52Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-f286fe4ecd8649c7bdf3251bcb66e9842022-12-21T19:04:08ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582017-06-0117111010.1186/s12889-017-4478-2Changing educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults in Germany: a trend study from 2003 to 2012Jens Hoebel0Jonas D. Finger1Benjamin Kuntz2Lars E. Kroll3Kristin Manz4Cornelia Lange5Thomas Lampert6Unit of Social Determinants of Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch InstituteUnit of Health Behaviour, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch InstituteUnit of Social Determinants of Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch InstituteUnit of Social Determinants of Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch InstituteUnit of Health Behaviour, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch InstituteUnit of Health Behaviour, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch InstituteUnit of Social Determinants of Health, Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch InstituteAbstract Background Social inequalities in health can be explained in part by the social patterning of leisure-time physical activity, such as non-participation in sports. This study is the first to explore whether absolute and relative educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults have changed in Germany since the early 2000s. Methods Data from four cross-sectional national health surveys conducted in 2003 (n = 6890), 2009 (n = 16,418), 2010 (n = 17,145) and 2012 (n = 13,744) were analysed. The study population was aged 25–69 years in each survey. Sporting inactivity was defined as no sports participation during the preceding 3 months. The regression-based Slope Index of Inequality (SII) and Relative Index of Inequality (RII) were calculated to estimate the extent of absolute and relative educational inequalities in sporting inactivity, respectively. Results Sporting inactivity was consistently more prevalent in less-educated groups. The overall prevalence of sporting inactivity declined significantly over time. However, the decline was observed only in the high and medium education groups, while no change was observed in the low education group. Both absolute and relative educational inequalities in sporting inactivity were found to have widened significantly between 2003 (SII = 0.30, 95% CI = 0.25–0.35; RII = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.83–2.38) and 2012 (SII = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.37–0.45; RII = 3.44, 95% CI = 3.03–3.91). Interaction analysis showed that these increases in inequalities were larger in the younger population under the age of 50 than among the elderly. Conclusions The findings suggest that the gap in sports participation between adults with high and low educational attainment has widened in both absolute and relative terms because of an increase in sports participation among the better educated. Health-enhancing physical activity interventions specifically targeted to less-educated younger adults are needed to prevent future increases in social inequalities in health.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-017-4478-2Social determinants of healthPhysical inactivityExerciseSportsPhysical activitySports participation |
| spellingShingle | Jens Hoebel Jonas D. Finger Benjamin Kuntz Lars E. Kroll Kristin Manz Cornelia Lange Thomas Lampert Changing educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults in Germany: a trend study from 2003 to 2012 BMC Public Health Social determinants of health Physical inactivity Exercise Sports Physical activity Sports participation |
| title | Changing educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults in Germany: a trend study from 2003 to 2012 |
| title_full | Changing educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults in Germany: a trend study from 2003 to 2012 |
| title_fullStr | Changing educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults in Germany: a trend study from 2003 to 2012 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changing educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults in Germany: a trend study from 2003 to 2012 |
| title_short | Changing educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults in Germany: a trend study from 2003 to 2012 |
| title_sort | changing educational inequalities in sporting inactivity among adults in germany a trend study from 2003 to 2012 |
| topic | Social determinants of health Physical inactivity Exercise Sports Physical activity Sports participation |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-017-4478-2 |
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