Determinants Impacting Daily Physical Activity Levels Among Chinese Adults and Its Association with Obesity

Background/Objectives: This study investigated the influencing factors of daily physical activity among Chinese adults and its association with obesity. Methods: A nationwide online questionnaires survey was conducted using Question star, involving 863 Chinese adults. One-way χ2 test, analysis of variance, and logistic regression were employed to explore the determinants of physical activity. Additionally, chi-square test and t-test were utilized to compare and analyze the impact of physical activity on obesity. Results: Males reported significantly higher physical activity levels than females (e.g., total score: 57.19 vs. 52.89, p < 0.001). Participants in the 28~37 years age group had the highest activity scores, which were significantly greater than those in older groups (38~58 years, p < 0.001). Both higher income (p = 0.018) and educational attainment (p = 0.001) were positively associated with physical activity engagement The non-obese population demonstrated significantly better performance in terms of daily physical activity compared to the obese population, particularly for question Q1 (p = 0.016), Q5 (p = 0.005), Q6 (p = 0.021), Q7 (p = 0.01), and Q8 (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Interventions aimed at promoting daily physical activity among adults should prioritize women, individuals with obesity, those with lower income levels, and those with limited educational attainment. This study provides a validated tool (the Daily Physical Activity Behavior Scale, DPABS) and targeted behavioral insights to support the design of feasible, daily physical activity interventions for obesity prevention in Chinese adults.