Gender differences in physical activity and sitting time among urban Malaysian adults

Abstract

Movement restrictions can disrupt everyday opportunities for physical activity, yet evidence from urban Malaysian communities remains limited. This study described physical activity and weekday sitting time during a COVID-19 restriction period and examined associations with gender, age and body mass index (BMI). This cross-sectional study analysed primary survey data collected in 2021 from 153 adults residing in Kota Damansara, Malaysia. Item-level responses to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) were scored using its official data-processing rules. Group differences were evaluated with Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests; associations were examined using Spearman correlation, Kruskal-Wallis tests and multivariable logistic regression. Participants were predominantly aged 18-29 years (98.7%); 105 were men and 48 were women. Median total physical activity was 664 MET-min/week (interquartile range [IQR] 264-2,520), and 71 participants (46.4%) were classified in the low IPAQ category. Men reported higher activity than women (median 924 vs. 396 MET-min/week; U = 3,263, p = .003, rank-biserial r = .295). Low activity was more common among women than men (62.5% vs. 39.0%), and the gender-by-category association was significant (χ² = 8.95, p = .011, Cramer's V = .242). Total activity was inversely correlated with weekday sitting time (Spearman rho = -.405, p < .001). In an adjusted model, female gender (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-4.87) and each additional hour of sitting per day (aOR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.08-1.37) were associated with low activity. Age and BMI were not independently associated with the outcome. A substantial proportion of this mainly young sample occupied the low IPAQ category during the restriction period, with female respondents and those reporting longer sitting time at greater risk. The cross-sectional design does not establish that movement restrictions caused these patterns.