The socioeconomic gradient in physical inactivity: Evidence from one million adults in England

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 123; pp. 55 - 63
• Main Authors: Farrell, Lisa, Hollingsworth, Bruce, Propper, Carol, Shields, Michael A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2014; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Area deprivation; Biological and medical sciences; Deprivation; Education; England; Exercise; Family income; Female; Geography; Health Problems; Health promotion; Health Surveys; Household income; Humans; Income; Low Income Groups; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Physical activity; Physical Education; Physical inactivity; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Recreation; Sedentary Lifestyle; Social Class; Socioeconomic Factors; United Kingdom; Weather; England; United Kingdom; Great Britain; Europe; United Kingdom > UK; England; Physical inactivity; Area deprivation; Education; Income; Human; Gradient; Deprivation; Poverty; Socioeconomic status; Socioeconomic study; Socioeconomics; Teaching; Adult; Social medicine; Economic aspect; Social aspect; Public health; Inequality
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.10.039

Understanding the socioeconomic gradient in physical inactivity is essential for effective health promotion. This paper exploits data on over one million individuals (1,002,216 people aged 16 and over) in England drawn from the Active People Survey (2004–11). We identify the separate associations between a variety of measures of physical inactivity with education and household income. We find high levels of physical inactivity. Further, both education and household income are strongly associated with inactivity even when controlling for local area deprivation, the availability of physical recreation and sporting facilities, the local weather and regional geography. Moreover, the gap in inactivity between those living in high and low income households is already evident in early adult life and increases up until about age 85. Overall, these results suggest that England is building up a large future health problem and one that is heavily socially graded.
•Physical inactivity in England has substantial education and income gradients.•Socioeconomic inequalities in physical inactivity are already evident by age 16–24.•The gap between high and low-income individuals increases up until age 85.•Local area characteristics are significant of predictors physical inactivity.