Body Image and Nutritional Status Are Associated with Physical Activity in Men and Women: The ELSA-Brasil Study

Carolina G. Coelho, Luana Giatti, Maria D. C. B. Molina, Maria A. A. Nunes and Sandhi M. Barreto
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Carolina G. Coelho: Public Health Postgraduate Program, Research Group on Epidemiology of Chronic and Occupational Diseases (GERMINAL), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
Luana Giatti: Public Health Postgraduate Program, Research Group on Epidemiology of Chronic and Occupational Diseases (GERMINAL), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil
Maria D. C. B. Molina: Postgraduate Program in Public Health, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, 29043-900, Brazil
Maria A. A. Nunes: Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
Sandhi M. Barreto: Public Health Postgraduate Program, Research Group on Epidemiology of Chronic and Occupational Diseases (GERMINAL), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270-901, Brazil

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-18

Abstract: The association of body image dissatisfaction and obesity with physical activity is likely to differ according to gender. To investigate this hypothesis, we conducted a cross-sectional study among the ELSA-Brasil cohort members aged 34–65 years (n = 13,286). The body image dissatisfaction was present even among normal weight individuals of both sexes and was associated with lesser chances of practicing moderate physical activity in women and intense physical activity in men. Men and women with central obesity were less prone to practice physical activity of high or moderate intensity. Overweight and obese men were more likely to report vigorous physical activity while obese women were less likely to report this level of physical activity. Body images as well as nutritional status are related to physical activity in both sexes, but the association with physical activity differs by gender.

Keywords: ELSA-Brasil; physical activity; body image; nutritional status; adults; sex differences (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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