[Reasons for athletic activity versus inactivity of urban population of Basel-Stadt 1988].

A representative sample of 778 inhabitants of Canton Basel-Stadt aged 16 to 75 years were asked about their exercise habits and reasons for participating in or abstaining from sports (Response rate: 81%). 56% of the responders took part in a sport more than once a month; the percentage was higher among younger adults and markedly lower among obese subjects. For 27% of the "active" respondents, the most important single motivation for sports was "fun, pleasure und well-being", in 20% of the cases "fitness", in 16% "health" and in 12% "compensation for work and relaxation". For 32% of the "inactive" group, the main reason for abstaining from sports was "lack of time", for 22% "no interest" and in 16% of the cases "sickness or disability"; "no clubs or sports-facilities" was hardly ever mentioned as a reason for being physically inactive (1%). Some significant differences were found when sociodemographic subgroups were analysed. For example, "health" was more often given as a reason for sports by the elderly, and "compensation for work and relaxation" was more often mentioned as the level of education rose. "Lack of time" was a more frequent reason for being physically inactive among young adults, whereas "sickness" was more important among the elderly. A better knowledge of the relative importance of the motivation for leisure time physical activity is likely to be significant for effective sports-promotion.