Perceptions of environmental opportunities for physical activity in the European Union

Objectives:This article is the last in a series of four that present data about physical activity in 15 members states of the European Union collected by the Eurobarometer 58.2. The focus of this article is on the perception of environmental opportunities for physical activity across the European Union. Methods:Data were collected in 2002 as part of the Eurobarometer by face-to-face interviews. A total of 16230 respondents age 15 years and older were interviewed. Sample sizes ranged about 1000 respondents in most nations. Physical activity was assessed with the last 7-days short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Results:Results indicate relationships between the perceptions of environmental opportunities; gross household income and physical activity level (in MET-hours/per week) of respondents. Respondents who reported lower income and less physical activity had also more negative perceptions of environmental opportunities. Across nations, respondents in Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Western Germany had the highest satisfaction with environmental opportunities for physical activity. In some nations, positive correlations between the perception of environmental opportunities and physical activity levels could be observed. Conclusions:Results show variations in the perception of environmental opportunities across the EU. Overall, the majority of respondents rated their environmental opportunities for physical activity favourable. Copyright Birkhäuser-Verlag Basel 2004