Attitudes Toward Physical Activity, 1998

1
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity, 1998 2003

• Overall, in 2003, 69 of Ontario residents
  considered physical activity to be easy. This
  represented a decrease from the 76 who felt this
  way in 1998.

2
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity by Age, 1998
2003

• There was a decrease from 1998 to 2003 among 18
  to 24 year olds in the likelihood that they
  considered physical activity to be easy.
• In 2003, 25 to 44 year olds were more likely than
  18 to 24 year olds to consider physical activity
  easy.

3
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity by Education
Level, 1998 2003

• There was a decrease from 1998 to 2003 among
  those who had completed university in the
  proportion who considered physical activity to be
  easy.

4
Attitudes to Physical Activity by Activity Level,
1998 2003

• In 1998, the more active the adult the higher was
  the proportion of Ontarians strongly agreeing
  that participating in physical activity was easy.
• Between 1998 and 2003 there was a decrease in
  this proportion among active Ontarians so that by
  2003, the only difference in the proportions
  believing physical activity was easy occurred
  among Ontarians in the least active level group
  compared to all others.

5
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity, 1998 2003

• Overall, in 2003, 81 of Ontario residents
  considered physical activity to be comfortable.
  This proportion did not change from 1998. There
  were no differences between men and women.

6
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity by Age, 1998
2003

• In 1998, Ontarians aged 65 or older were less
  likely than 18 to 24 year olds to consider
  physical activity comfortable.

7
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity by Education
Level, 1998 2003

• In both 1998 and 2003, those who had not
  completed secondary school were less likely than
  those who had completed university to state that
  physical activity was comfortable.

8
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity by Activity
Level, 1998 2003

• In 1998 and 2003, those with the least level of
  physical activity were less likely than those
  with higher levels of activity to report that
  physical activity was comfortable.

9
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity, 1998 2003

• Overall, in 2003, 68 of Ontario residents
  considered physical activity to be convenient.
  This represents an increase from 1998 (58). This
  increase could be seen among both men and women.

10
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity by Age, 1998
2003

• The increase from 1998 to 2003 in considering
  physical activity convenient could be seen among
  Ontarians aged 65 or older and those aged 25 to
  44.

11
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity by Education
Level, 1998 2003

• Those who had completed a university degree were
  more likely in 2003 than in 1998 to state that
  they found physical activity convenient.
• In 1998, those who had not completed secondary
  school were more likely than those who had
  completed college or university to state that
  physical activity was convenient.

12
Attitudes Toward Physical Activity by Activity
Level, 1998 2003

• From 1998 to 2003 there was an increase in the
  likelihood of stating that physical activity was
  convenient among those who were low active and
  highly active.
• In both 1998 and 2003, those who were highly
  active were more likely than those who were least
  active to state that physical activity was
  convenient.

13
Reinforcing Positive Attitudes of Physical
Activity, 2003

• The large majority of Ontarians report positive
  attitudes to physical activity.
• Understand what activities and which aspects of
  these activities are perceived as being fun,
  beneficial, convenient, easy within different
  population groups.
• Promote the aspects that are universal in
  broad-based campaigns.
• Promote more population-specific aspects in
  targeted and customized communications.
• Emphasize both universal and more
  population-specific aspects in individually
  adapted health behaviour change strategies such
  as counselling, instruction and skill development
  programs.
• Promote the benefits of physical activity for
  chronic conditions such as arthritis in managing
  pain.
• Stress the importance of fitting physical
  activity into everyday routines to reduce the
  perception of physical activity as inconvenient,
  boring or difficult.

14
Future Intentions of Being Physically Active,
1998 2003

• Overall, in 2003, the majority of Ontarians
  intended to be physically active within the next
  six months following the survey period. 45
  stated that they fully intended to be active, a
  further 20 with strong intention, 23 asserting
  a moderate level of intention, and 12 only
  somewhat intended to be active. Men were more
  likely than women to say that they somewhat
  intended to be active in 2003.
• Numbers were similar for 1998 with the exception
  of the proportion of those who only somewhat
  intended to be active, which was larger in 1998
  than in 2003. This decrease could be seen for
  both men and women.

15
Future Intentions of Being Physically Active by
Age, 1998 2003

• Among those aged 25 to 44 years and those aged 65
  and older, there was a decrease in the likelihood
  of stating that they only somewhat intended to be
  active from 1998 to 2003. There was also an
  increase in the proportion who strongly intended
  to be active among those aged 65 or older.
• While there were age related differences in 2003
  among those who somewhat intended to be more
  active, the pattern is not clear.
• In 2003, those aged 18-24 were more likely than
  those aged 65 and older to state that they
  strongly intended to be active.

16
Future Intentions of Being Physically Active by
Education Level, 1998 2003

• There were no significant differences across time
  or between those who had attained various levels
  of education in their intentions to be active in
  the next six months.

17
Future Intentions of Being Physically Active by
Activity Level, 1998 2003

• In 2003, those with low activity levels were more
  likely than those who were moderately active, who
  in turn were more likely than those who were
  highly physically active, to state that they
  somewhat intended to be more active in the next
  six months. In 2003 those who were moderately
  active were less likely than those who were
  highly active to fully intend to do so. In 1998,
  those who were moderately active were more likely
  to state this than those who were highly active.
• Among low actives there was an increase in the
  likelihood to strongly intend to be active in the
  next six months.

18
Possibility of Fitting Preferred Routine into
Schedule, 2003

• When asked about the possibility of fitting their
  preferred routine of physical activity into their
  current schedule, 20 of Ontario residents
  indicated that it is completely possible, whereas
  11 say it is very possible, 21 deem it
  moderately possible and the remaining 49 report
  it is somewhat or not very possible.
• There are no differences between men and women.

19
Possibility of Fitting Preferred Routine into
Schedule by Age, 2003

• Ontarians aged 25 to 44 are more likely than
  adults older than 45 to state that it is somewhat
  or not at all possible to fit their preferred
  physical activity routine into their schedule.
• 18 to 24 year olds and 25 to 44 year olds are the
  least likely to say they can completely fit this
  into their schedule.

20
Possibility of Fitting Preferred Routine into
Schedule by Education Level, 2003

• There were no differences by level of education
  achieved in the various likelihoods that physical
  activity could be accommodated by the daily
  schedule.

21
Possibility of Fitting Preferred Routine into
Schedule by Activity Level, 2003

• Ontarians who are the most active are more likely
  than those who are the least active to say that
  it was completely possible to fit physical
  activity into their daily schedule and less
  likely to state that it was somewhat or not at
  all possible.

22
Feasibility of Following Preferred Routine, 2003

• When asked about the feasibility of following the
  preferred routine given their present
  circumstances and commitments, 18 of Ontario
  residents indicated that it is completely
  feasible, whereas 14 say it is very feasible,
  25 deem it moderately feasible and the remaining
  42 report it is somewhat or not very feasible.
• There are no differences between men and women.

23
Feasibility of Following Preferred Routine by
Age, 2003

• Generally speaking, adults 45 years and older are
  more likely than their younger counterparts to
  state that its completely feasible to follow the
  preferred physical activity routine given their
  present circumstances and commitments.

24
Feasibility of Following Preferred Routine by
Education Level, 2003

• There were no differences by level of education
  achieved in the various stated levels of
  feasibility of following the preferred physical
  activity routine given present circumstances and
  commitments

25
Feasibility of Following Preferred Routine by
Activity Level, 2003

• Ontarians who are the most active are more likely
  than those who are the least active to say that
  it is completely feasible to follow the preferred
  physical activity routine given their present
  circumstances and commitments and less likely to
  state that it was somewhat or not at all
  possible.

26
Maintenance of Preferred Physical Activity
Routine, 2003

• Of those who report that following their
  preferred routine was feasible to some extent,
  59 report that they could maintain the routine
  for more than 6 months, 27 between three and six
  months and 15 for less than 3 months.
• There are no differences between men and women.

27
Maintenance of Preferred Physical Activity
Routine by Age, 2003

• Adults older than 45 years of age are more likely
  than their younger counterparts to state that
  they can maintain their preferred physical
  activity regime for more than 6 months.

28
Maintenance of Preferred Physical Activity
Routine by Education Level, 2003

• Ontarians who hold a college degree are more
  likely than adults with less than a high school
  education to state that they can maintain this
  schedule for more than 6 months.
• Adults with less than a high school education are
  more likely than those with a post-secondary
  school education to state that they could
  maintain the regime for 3 to 6 months.

29
Maintenance of Preferred Physical Activity
Routine by Activity Level, 2003

• Ontarians who are the most active are more likely
  than those with low or the lowest activity level
  to say that they would be able to maintain this
  routine for more than six months.
• Adults with low or the lowest level of activity
  are more likely to indicate that they could
  maintain the regime for less than 3 months.

30
Steps Taken to Become More Active Seeking
Information, 1998 2003

• Overall, in 2003, 59 of Ontario residents stated
  that they had read articles about physical
  activity in newspapers, books, or magazines over
  the past year. This was similar to the finding in
  1998 (58).
• In 2003, 34 of Ontarians stated that they sought
  information about opportunities in their
  communities, such as trails. This figure
  decreased from 44 in 1998.
• Women were more likely than men to have reported
  either of these information-seeking activities in
  1998.