Domain-specific physical activity in adults aged 18 to 64 years

Last updated on 5-12-2024 by Laïla Boulbayem

Why do we study domain-specific physical activity?

Engaging in regular physical activity across various domains— such as transportation, work, leisure time, and household (including garden) — plays a crucial role in preventing and managing noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer, while also promoting mental health and supporting healthy weight maintenance.
Different domains of physical activity provide various health benefits. However, more research is needed to understand their specific impact on health outcomes.
Studying these domains can clarify how each type of physical activity contributes to reducing the risks of diseases such as cancer and type-2 diabetes, leading to more effective public health recommendations.

How do we do it?

Physical activity in adults was examined using the long version of the self-report International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). This questionnaire is used to assess the intensity, frequency, and duration of physical activity across four domains:
- transport-related physical activity: activities such as walking or cycling to travel from one place to another ;
- work-related physical activity: this includes walking at work, engaging in moderate physical activity tasks (e.g., carrying light loads), and performing vigorous-intensity activities (e.g., carrying heavy loads or construction work) ;
- household-related physical activity: moderate activities at home (e.g., washing windows or scrubbing floors), as well as moderate (e.g., raking) or heavy (e.g., logging) activities in the garden ;
- leisure time-related physical activity: activities like walking during free time (not related to transportation), moderate activities (e.g., swimming or cycling at moderate pace), and vigorous-intensity activities (e.g., aerobics or jogging).
The percentage of physical activity in each domain was calculated by dividing the time spent in a given physical activity domain by the total time spent on physical activity across all domains.
Although questionnaires have many advantages, they also have limitations. People often struggle to accurately assess the intensity of their physical activity. This misjudgement, combined with forgetfulness and a desire to provide socially acceptable answers, can result in overestimating their physical activity levels. These results are best suited for comparing groups (e.g., by sex, age, or socio-economic status) rather than for drawing absolute conclusions.

Key results

Most physical activity occurs in the domain of household and garden activities, while the least amount is spent on transport-related physical activities.

Men engage in more leisure time-related physical activity compared to women, who, in turn, spend more time on household-related physical activities compared to men.

Adults with low-educational levels spend more time in work-related physical activity compared to those with high-educational levels. Conversely, adults with mid- and high-educational levels spend more time on leisure-time physical activity compared to those with low-educational levels.

The proportion of physical activity related to transportation is higher in Flanders than in Wallonia.

There are no differences over time for the domain-specific physical activities.