Socio-demographic determinants of physical activity (PA): A working class perspective

Physical activity (PA) has been confirmed by a dozen of studies to be an effective treatment for many diseases. Unfortunately, the habit of regularly engaging in it is rare among Africans, especially those caught in the web of time-consuming sedentary jobs. To contribute to a remedy of this problem, this study identifies relevant socio-demographic factors that determine engagement in PA by workers. A cross-sectional quantitative research technique was employed in this study. Participants were workers in Koforidua Township in Ghana. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect data from 686 volunteer participants. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis was used to present results. Findings show that education, gender, marital status, alternative employment, whether or not one currently has or previously had a chronic disease, and the sector of a person’s employment are some of the determinants of PA. All socio-demographic determinants account for 96.3% of the total variation, indicating a strong fit of the OLS model. While education and some other variables promote engagement in PA, age, income, and alternative employment do otherwise. Improving individuals’ education, especially physical education, is recommended as a step towards enabling workers to inculcate the habit of regularly participating in PA.