Examining the social patterning of physical activity among middle-aged to older adults in Canada

The World Health Organization ranks physical inactivity as the 4th leading risk factor for death worldwide and low physical fitness exposes individuals to a greater risk of dying than does smoking, obesity, or hypertension. Physical activity is a modifiable risk factor with the potential to improve health outcomes in over 30 noncommunicable diseases. Unfortunately, four out of five Canadians do not meet the national Physical Activity Guidelines, and systemic barriers to adoption of physical activity exist, especially for older adults. While socioeconomic status is one the most consistent determinants of physical activity, it remains unknown how this affects physical activity in older adults in Canada. The present study will inform this knowledge gap by summarizing and evaluating the evidence to examine changes in physical activity with respect to socioeconomic status, accounting for other predictors of physical activity among middle-aged to older adults in Canada.