Likelihood of meeting physical activity guidelines in rural and urban adults: cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to compare the odds of meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines among adults living in rural and urban areas of Canada.
METHODS: Data from the 2017 cycle of the Canadian Community Health Survey were analyzed using binomial logistic regression with a sample of 47,266 adults representing a survey-weighted total of 25,669,018. The odds of meeting PA guidelines were determined based on self-reported moderate-to-vigorous PA (<150 min per week or ≥150 min per week). Communities were categorized as urban or rural based on population size and density. Individual-level correlates included in the model were self-identified sex, age, body mass index, highest level of education, household income, perceived health, and sense of belonging to community.
RESULTS: Approximately 56.6% of rural and 59.3% of urban adults reported meeting recommended PA levels when location was examined as a sole predictor. The best-fit model adjusted for all individual-level factors showed a significant sex × location interaction. Males in rural communities were more likely to report meeting PA guidelines (odds = 0.90 or 47.4%) than males in urban areas (odds = 0.78 or 43.8%), whereas females living in rural communities (odds = 0.58 or 36.7%) were less likely to report meeting PA guidelines than females in urban areas (odds = 0.65 or 39.4%).
CONCLUSION: The association between rural-urban residence and meeting PA guidelines appears to be contingent on self-identified sex differences. Future work should explore how gender- and location-related variables interact to influence self-reported PA engagement.