Prevalence of physical inactivity and associated factors among adults in Harar town, Eastern Ethiopia

Background: The burden of physical inactivity was hidden in many low- and middle- income countries. This study determined the prevalence of physical inactivity and associated factors among adults in Harar town, Eastern Ethiopia. Material and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 601 adults in April 2016. Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) ver. 2 was used to collect the data through face-to-face interview. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.02. Then, exported and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20. A binary logistic regression model was performed to identify factors associated with physical inactivity. Results: The prevalence of physical inactivity was 45.5% (95% CI: 41.1%, 49.6%). Being female (AOR=2.36; 95% CI: 1.57, 3.53), age group from 41–50 years (AOR=3.02; 95% CI: 1.68, 5.45), privately employed (AOR=0.57; 95% CI: 0.36, 0.91), monthly incomes from 3,001–5,000 Ethiopian birr (AOR=3.71; 95% CI: 2.09, 6.56) and having no information about physical activity guidelines (AOR=3.48; 95% CI: 2.00, 6.03) were significantly associated with physical inactivity. Conclusions: The majority of adults are at greater risk of developing non-communicable diseases due to high prevalence of inactivity. Thus, immediate actions are suggested with community-based physical activity interventions.