The correlates of physical activity among adult Métis

ABSTRACT

Objectives: Métis, with a population of close to 390,000 people, are a culturally distinct and constitutionally recognized Aboriginal group in Canada that suffers from poorer overall health than non-Aboriginal Canadians. One important predictor of good health is physical activity. Guided by frameworks based on social and Aboriginal-specific determinants, we investigated the correlates of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and active transportation (walking) among adult Métis, with a particular focus on how culturally specific variables were associated with these two types of activity. We also examined how demographic, geographic, socioeconomic and health-related factors were associated with physical activity.

Design: We used data from Statistics Canada’s 2006 Aboriginal Peoples Survey and Métis Supplement to analyze the correlates of physical activity among Métis aged 20–64, using a series of logistic regression models.

Results: Having attended a Métis cultural event in the past year was positively associated with LTPA, as was a high level of spirituality. Similarly, those who had attended a cultural event in the last year were more likely to report a high level of active transportation. Speaking an Aboriginal language and being a member of a Métis organization were not independently associated with the two types of physical activity. Self-perceived health, being male and household income were other correlates positively associated with LTPA, whereas age, body mass index and smoking were negatively associated with this type of activity. Active transportation was positively associated with self-perceived health and being female, while negatively associated with age and body mass index.

Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that interventions aimed at increasing physical activity among adult Métis might be more successful if they are connected to cultural activities and spirituality. This research also suggests that demographic, socioeconomic and health-related factors are important considerations when designing initiatives to increase physical activity among adult Métis.

KEYWORDS:

• Indigenous
• Métis
• Aboriginal-specific
• social determinants of health
• physical activity
• exercise
• leisure-time physical activity
• active transportation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. The data for this analysis were provided by Statistics Canada. The analysis and interpretation are the authors’ alone.

2. A CMA is a geographic area that has a population of 100,000 people or more, with at least 50,000 people living in the core area (Statistics Canada 2012).

3. A CA is a geographic area that has a core population of at least 10,000 people (Statistics Canada 2012).

4. A MIZ (Metropolitan Influence Zone) category of ‘strong’, ‘moderate’, ‘weak’ or ‘no MIZ’ is assigned to census subdivisions outside of CAs and CMAs based on the percentage of the workforce that commutes to a CA or CMA (Statistics Canada 2012).

5. In 2013, four or more drinks on an occasion once per month or more became the new cutoff for heavy drinking among women, while the definition for men did not change (Statistics Canada 2014). The 2006 APS question relating to heavy drinking limited us from using the new definition of heavy drinking for women.

 

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by The Government of Canada & Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute for Aboriginal Peoples’ Health [grant number 117122].