Health Disparities
Examining the Association between Income Inequality and Physical Activity among Canadian Youth during the COVID-19 Pandemic Zack Perala* Zack Perala Valerie Carson Sentil Senthilselvan Roman Pabayo
Objectives Previous research has examined the association between income inequality and physical activity among youth; however, no studies have investigated the association longitudinally during the COVID-19 pandemic among Canadian youth. This study explored the association and mechanisms involved. Additionally, we determined whether associations were heterogeneous across gender.
Methods Longitudinal data from 9,423 students from Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario was obtained from the 2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23 survey waves of the Cannabis, Obesity, Mental health, Physical activity, Alcohol, Smoking, and Sedentary behaviour (COMPASS) study. A random intercept model was used to quantify the associations between census division-level income inequality (expressed as standardized Gini coefficients measured by after tax household income) and physical activity trajectories over time, adjusting for individual and school-level covariates.
Results Higher census-division level income inequality was associated with higher average physical activity levels in minutes per week for girls but not boys at baseline and during follow-up (Girls: ß = 8.126, 95% CI: 4.35, 11.90; p < 0.001; Boys: ß = 3.539, 95% CI: -0.0996, 7.177; p = 0.057). Furthermore, Income inequality was associated with higher odds of meeting the recommended physical activity levels of 60 minutes per day for boys and girls at baseline and during follow-up (Girls: OR = 1.412, 95% CI = 1.16, 1.727; P<0.01; Boys: OR =1.26, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.55; p = 0.03).
Conclusion Contrary to our hypothesis, areas of higher income inequality were associated with increased physical activity levels and proportion of meeting the recommended threshold of physical activity per day. Further research is needed to examine this complex association between income inequality and physical activity.