Structural and cultural factors influencing physical activity in Switzerland

The article examines age-specific patterns of physical activity in Switzerland and relates them to a number of structural and cultural background variables. It is argued that the general decline in physical activity throughout the life-course is modified by a number of structural factors. An empirical analysis of the Swiss Health Surveys of 1992 and 2002 showed that the shape of the curve showing age-specific decline in physical activity varies significantly between different social groups. For Switzerland, the most important effects were found to relate to gender, language region, household size (family situation), financial situation and nationality, whereas educational level and urban vs. rural place of residence appeared to play a minor role. The findings suggest that target-specific interventions to increase the level of physical activity are more promising than campaigns aimed at the general population. Even when catering for the need of specific age groups such as, for example, the elderly population, the structural and cultural context must be taken into account to develop programmes that are not only adapted to physiological need but also to the structural and cultural resources and constraints of the target groups in question.