Prevalence and Demographic Correlates of Meeting the Physical Activity Recommendation Among Japanese Adults

Background: Although engaging in the recommended amount of physical activity provides disease-prevention benefits, few studies have examined the proportion and correlates of meeting the Japanese physical activity recommendation. This study investigated the prevalence and demographic correlates of attaining the recommended value on the Exercise and Physical Activity Reference for Health Promotion 2006. Methods: Data were analyzed for 5177 Japanese adults who took an Internet-based cross-sectional survey. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire and 6 possible demographic correlates were obtained. Respondents were divided into 3 groups recommended, insufficient, and inactive according to their estimated weekly physical activity level. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used. Results: Overall, 26.6% of respondents were physically active according to the recommendation criterion. Gender, employment status, age, marital status, and educational level were statistically significant. In men, being employed and in women, being 30 to 39 years of age were negatively associated with the attainment of the recommendation. Being male, being a married woman, and having a college education or higher for women were positively correlated with the attainment of the recommendation. Conclusions: Different associations of demographic correlates with the physical activity recommendation for men and women were found, suggesting that gender-specific strategies for targeting the population or specific interventions might be more effective in promoting physical activity among Japanese adults.