BACKGROUND: Studies that considered only the leisure physical activity found that the physical inactivity is higher among lower-income individuals. There is a possibility that this association shows modifications, when considering transportation, work and domestic activities. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there is a difference between the prevalence of physical inactivity between individuals of high and low socioeconomic levels. METHODS: The sample consisted of individuals of both sexes, aged 18 or older, from two groups of different socioeconomic levels. The low socioeconomic level (LSEL) group consisted of the parents of students from a public school. The high socioeconomic level (HSEL) group consisted of the parents of students from a private College. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to determine the level of physical activity. RESULTS: A total of 91 individuals were evaluated in the LSEL group and 59 in the HSEL group. In the LSEL group, 42.9% (39) of the individuals were classified as insufficiently active, compared to 57.6% (34) of individuals in the HSEL group. Taking as a parameter of physical inactivity the time of weekly physical activity < 150 minutes, there was a decrease in the classification of inactivity in both groups, although with the maintenance of higher inactivity among individuals of HSEL (49.2% vs 28.6%; p= 0.01). CONCLUSION: The individuals of HSEL are more sedentary than the individuals of LSEL.
Physical activity; social class; exercise
