Seasonal differences in participation and time spent in physical activity in Russia: The Know Your Heart survey

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the levels and investigate socioeconomic, demographic, and health‐related predictors of winter and summer physical activity (PA) in Russia using the data from the Know Your Heart population survey conducted in Novosibirsk and Arkhangelsk (2015–2018; n = 5068; aged 35–69 years). Employing a series of probit, Tobit, and the Cragg models, we separated the predictors of the probability of participating in leisure‐time PA from the predictors of time spent in PA. Our study showed that financial constraints limited males' participation in winter PA (probability of participation decreased by 12 percentage points) and females' engagement in winter and summer PA (decrease in the number of hours of practicing PA by approximately 1 h a week). Education, self‐reported health, smoking, and cues to action had different impacts on both probability and time spent in PA in winter and summer. We also found significant gender differences in participation and time spent in PA across seasons. Older age, poor health, and smoking were greater obstacles to PA for males compared to females both in winter and summer. However, males were more likely to follow physician's advice to lose weight and take up physical exercise. Information campaigns that promote physical activities, including those that are free of charge, are needed to help limit barriers to PA for people with low socioeconomic status and individuals with little or no exercise experience. Also, making sports more accessible to citizens by providing free and low‐cost sports facilities can increase their participation and time spent in PA, improving individual health and productivity.