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Table 1 Study information and sample characteristics of the articles included in the systematic review

From: Variation in population levels of physical activity in European adults according to cross-European studies: a systematic literature review within DEDIPAC

Article

Study

Study design

Quality score (0–1)

Number of European countries

Number of European participants

Demographics

Physical activity assessment method

Reported physical activity outcome variables

Age (range)

Gender (% female)

Level of education

BMI (mean)

Eurobarometer (EB)

Friedenreich et al. (2010) [14]

EB 58.2 (2002)

CS

0.59

15

n.r.

15+

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

% insufficiently active

Rutten & Abu-Omar (2004) [15]

EB 58.2 (2002)

CS

0.85

15

16,230

15+

54 %

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

MET-hours/week

Sjöström et al. (2006) [16]

EB 58.2 (2002)

CS

0.91

15

n.r.

15+

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

% sufficiently active

Eurobaro-meter 64.3 (2006) [17]

EB 64.3 (2005)

CS

0.75

29

29,195

15+

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

Days/week and minutes/day MPA and VPA

Gerovasili et al. (2015) [18]

EB 80.2 (2013)

CS

0.86

28

19,978

18-69

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

% (in) sufficiently active and MET-minutes/week

International Prevalence Study (IPS)

Bauman et al.(2009) [19]

IPS

CS

0.95

7

17,749

18-65

48-59%a

3-58 % >13 years edua

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

% low; moderate; high physical activity levels

Ding et al. (2013) [20]

IPS

CS

0.95

4

2,533

18-65

44-53%a

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

% meeting physical activity recommendations

Sallis et al. (2009) [21]

IPS

CS

1.00

4

2,574

18-65

56 %

45 % >13 years edu

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

% meeting guidelines for physical activity

World Health Organization global health observatory

Hallal et al. (2012) [4]

/

CS

0.75

35

270,862

15+

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; unspecified

% physically inactive

Kahan (2015) [22]

/

CS

0.77

2

9,969

15+

52 %

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ, GPAQ, or similar

% physical inactivity

Papandreou & Tuomilehto (2013) [23]

Seven Countries Study

CS

0.73

5

n.r.

15+

n.r.

n.r.

26

Questionnaires; unspecified

% physically inactive

European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)

Haftenberger et al. (2002) [24]

EPIC

CS

0.90

9

236,386

50-64

67 %

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; Standardized lifestyle questionnaire

Hours/week of total recreational activity

Lahmann et al. (2009) [25]

EPIC

CS

0.95

9

274,740

n.r.

100 %

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; Standardized lifestyle questionnaire

MET-hours/week of combined household and recreational physical activity

International Physical activity and the Environment Network (IPEN)

Cerin et al. (2014) [26]

IPEN

CS

0.91

5

2,166

18-66

54 %

50 % college or higher

n.r.

Accelerometer; ActiGraph

Minutes/day MVPA and % meeting guidelines

Van Dyck et al. (2015) [27]

IPEN

CS

0.91

5

2,166

18-66

53 %

52 % college or higher

26

Accelerometer; ActiGraph (several models)

Counts/minute and minutes/day MVPA

World Health Survey (WHS)

Atkinson et al. (2016) [28]

World Health Survey

CS

0.91

9

23,527

18-69

n.r

n.r

n.r

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

% physically inactive

Guthold et al. (2008) [29]

World Health Survey

CS

0.90

12

24,995

18-69

56 %

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

% physically inactive

Other studies

Alkerwi et al. (2015) [30]

/

CS

0.91

3

3,133

18-69

51 %

35 % tertiary edu

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ-long

% low; moderate, high physical activity levels and % compliance

Bamana et al.(2008) [31]

EUPASS

CS

1.00

7

4,231

18+

57 %

65 % working

24

Questionnaire; IPAQ-short

% low; moderate; high physical activity levels

Bourdeau-dhuij et al. (2005) [32]

/

CS

0.95

2

526

18+

65-66%a

40-44 % higher edua

23-26a

Questionnaire; IPAQ-long

Minutes/week of all MVPA in leisure time and total MVPA

Hughes et al. (2015) [33]

/

CS

0.70

2

n.r

25-84

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; IPAQ

% physical inactivity

Jimenez-Pavon et al. (2012) [34]

ENERGY

CS

0.82

7

5,296

n.r.

82 %

n.r.

n.r.

Questionnaire; ENERGY parent questionnaire

% meeting physical activity guidelines

Lakerveld et al. (2015) [35]

SPOT-LIGHT

CS

0.95

5

6,037

n.r.

56 %

54 % high edu level

25

Questionnaire; IPAQ-long (adapted)

Minutes/day of MVPA in leisure time

Marques et al. (2015) [36]

ESS

CS

0.82

27

n.r.

n.r.

54 %

22.8 % superior edu

n.r.

Questionnaire; single item

% attained physical activity

Ortega et al. (2013) [37]

EYHS

LT

0.91

2

321

21 and 25

59-63%a

n.r.

20-21a

Accelerometer; ActiGraph

Minutes/day MVPA

  1. BMI Body Mass Index, EUPASS European Physical Activity Surveillance System, ENERGY EuropeaN Energy balance Research to prevent excessive weight Gain among Youth, SPOTLIGHT Sustainable Prevention of Obesity Through Integrated Strategies, ESS European Social Survey, EYHS European Youth Heart Study, CS Cross-sectional, LT Longitudinal, n.r. not reported, yrs years, edu education, IPAQ International Physical Activity Questionnaire, GPAQ Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, MET metabolic equivalent, MPA moderate physical activity, VPA vigorous physical activity, MVPA moderate-to-vigorous physical activity
  2. aThese publications only presented stratified demographics. The numbers shown here represent the range