The challenge of promoting physical activity in low-income and middle-income countries
Robinson Ramírez‐Vélez, Danilo R. Silva
Abstract
Physical inactivity is one of the main public health problems worldwide. Public awareness of the benefits of physical activity has increased, and advances have been made in the field of physical activity epidemiology. Findings also show that the prevalence of physical activity at the WHO-recommended level (≥150 min of moderate-intensity or 75 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or equivalent combinations1) has been stable in recent decades.2 Nevertheless, promoting physical activity in the least active groups remains a considerable challenge. Latin America is a good example of the size of this challenge, as it is the region with the highest prevalence of physical inactivity in the world.1 The region is composed mainly of low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), characterised by recent urbanisation, large cultural differences within populations, and social inequalities.