[Leisure time activity in a random sample of working-age people in Lodz--preliminary results].
BACKGROUND: In industrialized countries, diseases attributable to low physical activity form a very serious social and economic problem. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aim of this study was to analyze the level of recreational physical activity in a random sample of 200 people at working age in Łódź. Physical activity was determined by the interviewer-administrated questionnaire Seven-Day Physical Activity Recall (SDPAR). RESULTS: Total weekly energy expenditure in a group of 100 women and 100 men (mean age, 44.9 +/- 11.6 years) was 2992.7 +/- 974.8 kcal/week. The respondents spent on moderate, heavy and and very heavy recreational physical activity 2.5 +/- 3.8; 0.2 +/- 0.7; and 0.2 +/- 1.0 h/week, respectively. Almost 50% of subjects reported 0.0 kcal/week energy expenditure on recreational physical activities. There were only 14.8% and 15.4% of subjects who had respectively 1000-1999 kcal/week and < 2000 kcal/week energy expenditure on leisure time physical activity. This study demonstrated that only about 30% of subjects achieved the level of physical activity recommended by experts in health promotion and prevention of cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Effective programs need to be developed and implemented to increase the level of recreational physical activity among the adult population of Łódź.