Peculiarities of Physical Activity in Russia: Analysis for Different Demographic Groups

Physical activity is one of the important components of a healthy lifestyle. Regular activity reduces the risk of developing chronic and non-communicable diseases: coronary heart disease, stroke, certain types of cancer, type II diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, and obesity (Eime et al., 2018; Lim, Taylor, 2005; ВОЗ, 2020a). Moreover, due to the social nature of team participation, sports have a positive impact on people's social and mental health, reducing anxiety and the risk of depression (Bauman et al., 2012). The main aim of this research is to analyze what factors have an impact on the probability and duration of physical activity of three different demographic groups: young, adult and elderly people, – in Russia in the period between 2010 and 2019 based on the RLMS data. The methodology of the paper is based on three probit models and three panel regression models – one for each age group. Econometric analysis showed that among the adult group of respondents the duration of physical activity is higher among women, in the group of young and elderly people the duration and likelihood of physical activity are higher among men. The analysis confirmed the negative influence of age, marriage and smoking on the probability of engaging in physical activity and sports for all demographic groups. With an increase in education level and income, an increase in the likelihood of physical activity is observed for individuals of all demographic groups. The fact that individual is unemployed and live outside the rural area has a positive effect on the duration of physical activity for individuals of all ages. The obtained results can be used to adjust the state policy in the promotion of an active lifestyle among various demographic groups of the Russian population.