Age and Sex-Related Associations between Marital Status, Physical Activity and TV Time

Abstract

Marital status mediates an association between physical activity (PA) and TV time with health outcomes. However, population-based studies have revealed that the health effect of marriage or divorce is age-dependent and differs between women and men. The study aimed to identify the age and sex-related associations between marital status with PA and TV time. We used data from Vigitel, an annual telephone survey started in 2006 in Brazil. We applied a complex sample logistic regression model to estimate the odds for PA and TV time comparing marital statuses according to age and sex subgroups, independent of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, self-assessed poor health, and smoking. Our sample included 561,837 individuals from 18 to 99 years, with a TV time > 3 h/day (prevalence = 25.2%) and PA > 150 min/week (prevalence = 35%). Later, we divided our sample in seven age groups by marital status and sex. Compared to single individuals, married men and women were less likely to watch TV more than 3 h/day in participants >30 years old. When compared to single, married participants were less likely to do more than 150 min of PA/week at younger age groups. Married women older than 40 years were more likely to do more than 150 min of PA/week than the single ones, while there were no differences among married men by age group. In conclusion, our study suggests that the investments in public policies to encourage the practice of PA and reduction of TV time could be based on the marital status, sex, and age, prioritizing less active groups.

Predictors of the Level of Physical Activity in Physically Active Older People

“…Thirdly, our results show the existence of a low-to-moderate level of physical activity practice in women, which makes it necessary to study the causes and motivations of this behaviour to improve their long-term health. However, and despite the lack of research in this regard, some studies mention that married women are more likely to perform more than 150 min of PA/week than single women, while there were no differences between married men, no matter their age [ 30 ]. However, various studies indicate that the differences in the effects that physical activity produces according to the gender of the participants are not clear [ 31 ], so it would be interesting to investigate this aspect further in relation to what this work has tried to do.…”

Socio-demographic correlates of unhealthy lifestyle in Ethiopia: a secondary analysis of a national survey

“…In the study, those who were married also showed a signi cant association with higher odds of an unhealthy lifestyle. In Ethiopia or other developing countries, evidence indicates that married people are more likely to adopt a sedentary lifestyle (38,40,41).…”

The Interaction between Exercise and Marital Status on Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Taiwan Biobank

“…This might be because married people often participate in more social activities such as family gatherings, or activities easily combined with housework and childcare, and spend less time on the type of activities they enjoy during a moment of freedom away from work and family, activities that Nomaguchi and Bianchi (2004) considered, along with exercise, as individual leisure pursuits [22]. In more recent research, Cavazzotto et al (2022) studied 561,837 individuals from 18 to 64 years of age in order to identify the age and sex-related associations between marital status and PA [26]. When compared to single individuals, younger married participants were less likely to do more than 150 min of PA/week.…”