ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Understanding patterns of physical activity among adults can lead to targeted approaches to improve activity levels in the African population. This study aimed to determine whether age, gender, location and employment status could predict physical activity among rural and urban South African adults, and to determine the participants' risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: A cross-sectional design was conducted on 319 participants of mean age 57 ± 10.43 years. Participants were sampled using a stratified random-sampling procedure from an urban township in Langa, Western Cape Province, and a rural township in Mt Frere, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A researcher-generated questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic and physical activity data. Linear regression analysis was used to test predictive relationships. RESULTS: Gender and geographical location were significant predictors (p = 0.001) of physical activity. Rural participants engaged more in physical activity (91.5%) than urban participants (84.2%) and were more likely to meet the physical activity recommendations to promote cardiovascular fitness (p = 0.000). The most frequent physical activities in rural participants were walking (15.4%), household chores (18.8%) and household chores + gardening (15.4%). The most frequent physical activities in urban participants were household chores (34.2%), and household chores + walking (33.7%). In terms of duration of physical activity, rural participants spent longer periods engaging in activities lasting up to two hours (21.4%), compared to 5.9% in urban participants (p = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: Gender and geographical location were significant predictors of physical activity among black South African adults. Overall, rural adults engaged in more physical activity than urban-dwelling adults. Males also engaged in more physical activity and at a higher intensity than females. Most rural participants met the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations for cardiovascular fitness and therefore were at minimal risk for developing CVD compared to their urban counterparts.