Physical Inactivity Levels Among European Adults Enrolled And Non-enrolled In Fitness And Sports Centers

Physical inactivity (PIA), characterized by not meeting the World Health Organization's (WHO) guidelines for physical activity (PA), is a public health concern. While PA providers can play a role in reducing PIA, their effectiveness in promoting regular PA among adults remains understudied. PURPOSE: To analyze the PA levels of European adults, comparing members and non-members of PA providers, stratified by age and gender. METHODS: This descriptive epidemiology study utilizes data from the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short-form (IPAQ-SF) included in Special Eurobarometer surveys 412 (2013), 472 (2017), and 525 (2022). Adults (≥18 years; n = 75,862) were classified into Low-PA, Moderate-PA, and High-PA using the IPAQ short-form guidelines and further divided into members and non-members of a PA service. Chi-square tests were used to examine the association between membership status and PA levels among the overall sample and separately by gender and age groups (18-29 years, 30-44 years, 45-59 years, 60-69 years and ≥70 years; 16). Z-scores were calculated to compare PA levels between members and non-members within each gender group. Additionally, odds ratios were employed to estimate the risk of low PA among non-members compared to members. RESULTS: Non-members displayed higher Low-PA prevalence than members (p < 0.001). Women showed a higher Low-PA and a lower High-PA prevalence compared to men in both samples (p <0.001-0.015, respectively), but women members showed higher High-PA and Lower-PA prevalence than women non-members. The Low-PA prevalence descriptively increased while the High-PA prevalence descriptively decreased in both members and non-members, but the age effect was lower in members, who displayed less Low-PA prevalence and more High-PA prevalence in all age groups (p<0.001). Membership in a PA provider centre was associated with a 2.80% higher likelihood of being physically active. CONCLUSIONS: Membership in a PA provider is associated with a higher PA prevalence and lower PIA prevalence compared to non-membership. This effect is consistent across all age groups and genders. Being a member is associated with a 2.80% higher likelihood of being active. Enhancing membership among EU adults could be an effective strategy for promoting PA among adults. Beca José Castillejo and Fullbright Program