CANADA

Increasing Physical Activity: Assessing trends from 1998-2003

ISBN #1-895724-39-2

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New findings from the 2002 Physical Activity Monitor were published monthly between September 2003 and April 2004. These monthly releases were compiled to form a full report published on April 30, 2004. The report, which contains a discussion of the 2002 findings as well as detailed tables by age, sex, province, daily activity, education level, family income, employment status, community size, and family composition, is available in PDF format.

You can download sections of the report or the full report free of charge click here:

How many Canadians are not active enough?

• Current estimates from the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) indicate that the majority of Canadians (56%) are physically inactive.
  
  
• Although the CCHS is similar in approach, differences in method, particularly scoring, result in different estimates of inactivity compared with those published from the Physical Activity Monitor (PAM). These two estimates (CCHS and PAM) can not be directly compared to each other. Nonetheless, the same conclusions can be drawn from both the CCHS and the PAM, namely:
  
  
  • the level of physical inactivity decreased between the late 1990s and 2002;
    
    
  • the majority of Canadians still face increased risk of chronic disease and premature death due to physically inactive lifestyles;
    
    
  • more women than men are physically inactive; and
    
    
  • physical inactivity increases with age.
    

Other key findings from the Canadian Community Health Survey, 2000/01

• The percentage of the population that is inactive has decreased by 10% (a 6 percentage point decrease from 62% to 56%) over the six-year period from 1994/5 to 2000/01.
  
  
• A substantial number of Canadians in every province are insufficiently active, with the highest rates of inactivity occurring in New Brunswick (64%), Newfoundland (63%), Quebec (62%), and Prince Edward Island (60%) and the lowest in British Columbia (46%).
  
  
• The goal to achieve a 10% reduction (6 percentage points overall decrease) in the percentage of adults who are inactive has been achieved.
  

Physical Inactivity Among Adults (20+) by Province

	2000/01 CCHS %	1994/95 NPHS %
Newfoundland	63	69
Prince Edward Island	60	70
Nova Scotia	58	68
New Brunswick	64	65
Quebec	62	67
Ontario	57	62
Manitoba	59	58
Saskatchewan	57	61
Alberta	52	55
British Columbia	46	51
North	52	N/A

• Slightly more women (59%) than men (53%) are physically inactive.
  
  
• The proportion of those physically inactive increases with age. Sex-related differences are most apparent among older adults, where 68% of women are inactive compared with 53% of men.
  
  
• The level of physical inactivity decreases as education level increases (67% among those with less than secondary graduation versus 52% among university and college graduates). Moreover, as income level increases, the proportion who are physically inactive decreases (63% versus 47%).
  

What about children?

• According to the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), 56% of Canadian youth aged 12-19 were physically inactive. However, as many as 82% may not have been active enough to meet international guidelines for optimal growth and development.
  
  
• Girls are significantly less active than boys, with 64% of girls and 48% of boys being considered physically inactive. In additional, youth living in higher income families are the least likely to be physically inactive (2000/01 CCHS).
  

Physical Inactivity Among Youth (12-19) by Province

Newfoundland	58%
Prince Edward Island	52%
Nova Scotia	56%
New Brunswick	59%
Quebec	63%
Ontario	56%
Manitoba	59%
Saskatchewan	49%
Alberta	50%
British Columbia	50%
North	54%

• For the purpose of these analyses, the term physically inactive is equivalent to an energy expenditure of less than three kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per day (KKD). International guidelines for youth require a much higher level of activity (6-8 KKD). This level of physical activity can be achieved by playing team sports for an hour or a half an hour of running, combined with an accumulated hour of walking throughout the day.
  

Current situation

• Physical activity among adults — According to the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey, 56% of Canadians (20 and older) are inactive, accumulating on average less than 1.5 METS of physical activity daily. This amount of physical activity could be achieved through walking a total of half an hour a day. Of the remainder, 24% are classified as moderately active and 20% are active.
  
  
• Physical activity among teenagers — Over half of Canadian teenagers are sedentary, accumulating the equivalent of less than one hour of walking a day (3+METS). Furthermore, only 18% are accumulating enough daily activity to meet the international guidelines for optimal growth and development.
  
  
• Participation in physical education classes — Half of Canada’s children aged 6–17 years reportedly take physical education classes three or more days a week at school and 17% have daily physical education. More active parents are more likely to report that their child takes physical education classes at least three days a week.
  
  
• Healthy lifestyles — According to the 2000/01 Canadian Community Health Survey, three-quarters of Canadians are non-smokers, half are at least moderately active (See Physical activity among adults and Physical activity among teenagers), and one-third eat the recommended minimum of 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Being a non-smoker tends to increase by age. Women are more likely than men to be non-smokers and to report the healthy eating pattern of consumption of at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. The likelihood of following this eating pattern and of being a non-smoker is lowest among those aged 25 to 44, and then increases by age group for 45 and older.
  
  
• Self-reported health — According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, almost two-thirds of Canadians aged 15 and older rate their health as very good (36%) or excellent (25%). The percentage of Canadians rating their health as very good or excellent decreases by age. Males are slightly more likely than females to view their health in these terms in the 15 to 19 and 20 to 24 age groups.
  
  
• Body mass — Almost half of Canadians aged 20 to 64 are classified as overweight (33%) having a body mass index of 25.0 to 29.9, or as obese (15%), having a body mass index of 30.0 or higher. This proportion increases with age, ranging from 21% overweight and 8% obese among those aged 20 to 24, to 40% overweight and 19% obese among those aged 55 to 64. Men are more likely than women to be classified as being overweight or obese and the greatest difference between men and women occurs in those classified as overweight in the 35 to 44 age group.
  
  
• High blood pressure — According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, one-quarter of adults aged 45 and older report that their physician has diagnosed them with high blood pressure. The likelihood of having high blood pressure increases with age. Women are more likely than men to have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, particularly among those 65 and older.
  
  
• Diabetes — One in twenty Canadians has been diagnosed with diabetes by a health professional. The likelihood increases by age (<1% among those less than 25 to about 13% among those 65 and older). Men 55 and older are more likely then women older than 55 to have been diagnosed with diabetes. Although men are about 1.3 times as likely as women to have diabetes in these age groups, the absolute differences are relatively small (10% among men 55–64 versus 7% among women).

Awareness of physical activity and its benefits

• Awareness of Canada’s physical activity guidelines — Canada’s Physical Activity Guide to Healthy Active Living was released in the fall of 1998. Since that time, recall of the Guide has been monitored by asking adults if they have ever heard of guidelines, and if so the name of the guidelines. The current survey also assessed prompted recall by specifically asking if they had heard of the Guide. Very few adults have been able to recall (unprompted) the Guide between 1999 and 2002. However, with prompting, 47% of adults reported having heard of the Guide in the previous 12 months.
  
  
• Confidence in ability to follow Canada's guidelines — The majority of Canadians are either moderately or very confident that they can accumulate the amount of physical activity specified by Canada's Physical Activity Guide. Indeed, 46% are very confident that they can accumulate an hour of physical activity daily. Similarly, 47% are very confident that they can do at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on at least every other day.
  
  
• Beliefs about the benefits of lifestyle behaviours_Canadians were asked whether they strongly disagreed, disagreed, agreed or strongly agreed that following healthy lifestyle practices (being physically active, eating well and not smoking) prevent or delay illness and help them to stay healthy in their senior years. Two-thirds of Canadians strongly agreed that a healthy lifestyle contributes to long-term health benefits, while few disagreed (5%).
  
  
• Beliefs about the benefits of physical activity — Two-thirds of adults very strongly agree that being active regularly prevents heart disease and the majority also hold strong beliefs that it helps to reduce stress (65%) and maintain functional ability with age (64%). Only 24% very strongly agree that regular physical activity prevents cancer.

• Future intention to be active — The majority of Canadians fully intend to be active in the next six months, and this is true nation-wide. However, those living in Nunavut are less likely and those in British Columbia are more likely, to fully intend to be active in the future than others. The proportion of Canadians who fully intend to be active in the future is higher in more active groups.
  
  
• Perceived control over choice to be active — Canadians were asked how much personal control they had over their choice to be active. Almost 40% of adults stated that they have complete control over their decision to be active, 25% said they had a lot of control and another 27% reported moderate control. This pattern was generally consistent across the country.
  
  
• Barriers to physical activity — Lack of time, energy and motivation are most frequently rated as important barriers to being active by Canadian adults, followed by long-term illness or disability, cost, feeling uncomfortable or ill at ease, lack of skill and fear of injury.

• Public education — One-third of Canadians hold strong beliefs that information on physical activity, health and well-being would make it easier for them to be physically active. Equal proportions of Canadians rate 'help in planning their daily schedule to include some physical activity' (23%), and 'professional help in choosing what types of activities are best for them (23%), as very important in making it easier for them to be physically active.
  
  
• Supportive services — In addition to having a supportive infrastructure, Canadians view affordable supportive services as very important (33%) in helping them to be active, followed by convenient transportation (26%), services to link up participants (22%), and specific instruction or coaching (21%).
  
  
• Supportive infrastructure — About half of Canadians view access to safe streets and public spaces as very important (48%) in helping them to be active, followed by affordable facilities and programs (43%) and access to paths, trails and green spaces (42%). People who view supportive infrastructure as very important are more likely to be more physically active.
  
  
• Support for government investment — Almost two-thirds of Canadians think that government should increase tax spending to provide opportunities for physical activity and 19% say that much more should be spent in this area. There is a regional trend from East to West, with residents of Eastern Canada being most likely to call for increased investment.
  
  
• Key government responsibilities — Three-quarters of Canadians think that governments have a major role to play in ensuring that daily physical education is mandatory in schools; 68% in setting of safety standards; and 63% in ensuring that community development includes areas for physical activity, such as walking and bicycling paths. Roughly half rate the promotion of good health and well-being, the provision of services, programs, and facilities to help people be active, and the provision of information on the benefits of activity as key responsibilities for governments.
  
  
• Safe places to walk and bicycle — Two-thirds of Canadian adults report that there are many safe places to walk in their communities, including sidewalks, paths and walking trails. Very few report an absence of safe places to walk. In contrast, only 37% report many safe places to bicycle, such as bicycle paths or lanes, and 16% report that there are none.
  
  
• Trails and physical activity facilities — Over 40% of Canadian adults report that there are many public facilities for physical activity in their communities and 28% report having many public multi-purpose trails. The reported availability of physical activity facilities generally increases from East to West whereas the reported availability of multi-purpose trails is higher in the Yukon and lower in Nunavut and the East.
  
  
• Physical activity programs outside of physical education classes — Seven in ten children reportedly have access to physical activity programs outside of physical education classes at their school. Overall, 41% of programs are reported as meeting the needs of children very well or quite well. However, an equal proportion are reported as inadequate, meeting children’s needs only somewhat well to not at all.
  
  
• Public facilities and programs for children — Most parents report that there are public facilities and programs available for their children locally. However, this is less likely to be the case in the Eastern provinces. Three in five parents report that these facilities and programs meet their children’s needs very or quite well.