LEISURE-TIME PHYSICAL EXERCISE - PREVALENCE, ATTITUDINAL CORRELATES, AND BEHAVIORAL-CORRELATES AMONG YOUNG EUROPEANS FROM 21 COUNTRIES

Background. Increasing leisure time physical exercise is a major targe t of public health programs throughout the developed world, but few in ternational comparisons of exercise habits among people from diverse c ultures have been published, The objectives of this study were to asse ss the prevalence of exercise among young adults from 21 European coun tries, to analyze associations with health beliefs and risk awareness, and to investigate relationships among exercise, other health-related behaviors, and emotional well-being. Methods. The European Health and Behaviour Survey, a questionnaire survey of 7,302 male and 9,181 fema le university students ages 18-30 years from 21 countries, was analyze d. Results. Age-adjusted prevalence of physical exercise in the past 2 weeks averaged 73.2% among men and 68.3% among women, but varied mark edly from more than 80% to less than 60% across country samples. Belie fs in the health benefits of exercise were consistently associated wit h physical exercise, as was desire to lose weight. Awareness of the in fluence of exercise on heart disease averaged 52% among men and 54% am ong women, but was not strongly associated with engagement in exercise . Associations among exercise, lack of smoking, and sleep time were ob served, but results for alcohol consumption were inconsistent. Social support and depression were independently associated with physical ex ercise, Conclusions. Physical exercise levels are highly variable acro ss samples of relatively privileged young Europeans from different cou ntries. Associations with other health behaviors and with emotional we ll-being suggest that regular physical exercise is consistent with a h ealthy lifestyle. Links with health beliefs are consistent despite soc iocultural differences, but deficient knowledge of the health conseque nces of a sedentary lifestyle remains a cause for concern. (C) 1997 Ac ademic Press.