Correlates of Physical Activity among Métis

Abstract

Adult Métis suffer from a high prevalence of obesity and chronic health conditions such as diabetes, respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Insufficient physical activity, a strong predictor of these conditions, has not been well studied among this population. The purpose of this study is to identify Métis-specific correlates of physical activity, examine how modifiable health behaviours are associated with physical activity, and determine how the correlates differ for leisure-time, active transportation, and occupational physical activity. This study used data from the 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey (APS) and Métis Supplement to quantitatively analyze demographic, geographic, socioeconomic, health-related, and Aboriginal-specific correlates of physical activity among working-age adult Métis. Data were accessed at the Southwestern Ontario Research Data Centre (SWORDC) at the University of Waterloo. A series of logistic regression models was used for the analyses and each model used bootstrap weights that were specifically designed for the survey by Statistics Canada. Data from the 2006 APS demonstrated that the level of reported leisure-time physical activity was positively associated with being male, living in British Columbia, household income, self-perceived health, and having attended a Métis cultural event. Negative associations with leisure-time physical activity were observed with age, smoking status, and body mass index (BMI). Level of reported active transportation was positively associated with being female, self-perceived health, and having attended a Métis cultural event. Correlates negatively associated with active transportation included age, income, residence in the Territories and Quebec, and BMI. Greater levels of occupational/household physical activity were reported among men and younger adult age groups, and in rural areas. In addition, living in British Columbia, higher ratings of self-perceived health, smoking, and spirituality were positively associated with occupational/household physical activity. Adult Métis with lower levels of education and lower household income were more likely to report higher levels of occupational physical activity. The results of this study demonstrate that leisure-time physical activity, active transportation, and occupational physical activity differ in how they are associated with demographic, geographic, socioeconomic, health-related, and Aboriginal-specific variables. All three types of activity should be considered as important parts of an active lifestyle. This study highlights the significant associations between health-related variables and physical activity participation, and suggests that promoting more physical activity among adult Métis is important as a means to improve their overall health, reduce health disparities, and decrease the prevalence of chronic health conditions among this population. In addition, this study provides evidence that culturally specific factors may be particularly important to consider when designing interventions to promote more physical activity among adult Métis.