Are Australian immigrants at a risk of being physically inactive?
2011

Physical Inactivity Risks Among Australian Immigrants

Sample size: 4956 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Dassanayake Jayantha, Dharmage Shyamali C, Gurrin Lyle, Sundararajan Vijaya, Payne Warren R

Primary Institution: The University of Melbourne

Hypothesis

Does physical activity risk differ between migrant sub-groups and the Australian-born population?

Conclusion

Female immigrants from various regions are at a significantly higher risk of being physically inactive compared to their male counterparts.

Supporting Evidence

  • Female immigrants from most regions are more likely to be physically inactive than male immigrants.
  • Immigrants from South East Asia have a significantly higher risk of physical inactivity.
  • New Zealand and UK & Ireland immigrants are less likely to be physically inactive compared to Australian-born individuals.

Takeaway

This study found that many immigrant women in Australia don't get enough exercise compared to men from the same regions.

Methodology

Data were drawn from the Australian National Health Survey (2001) and analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.

Potential Biases

Cultural bias in interpreting 'physical activity' and 'exercise' may affect results.

Limitations

Self-reported data may introduce recall bias, and regional classifications may mask individual country-specific differences.

Participant Demographics

First generation migrants from 13 regions, including Australia, New Zealand, and various parts of Asia and Europe.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.05

Confidence Interval

95% CI 1.63, 2.56

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1479-5868-8-53

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