PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HABITS OF WORKING-AGE LITHUANIAN ADULTS IN 2021-2025: A FIVE-WAVE STUDY

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the physical activity habits and changes of the adult Lithuanian population in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Research materials and methods. The study was conducted by conducting five cross-sectional surveys of the adult working-age Lithuanian population in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 in October. The multi-stage stratified probability sampling method was used, which ensured the representativeness of the collected data. Each year, 1600 working-age Lithuanian residents were surveyed, and the sample of the study data consisted of 8000 properly completed survey questionnaires. The research instrument was an original validated anonymous questionnaire. The data were collected through an online survey.

Results: Similar trends in physical activity changes were observed in the male and female groups, but the proportion of respondents who responded that physical activity had not changed over the 12-month period was higher among men than among women. Although there was an increasing trend in the proportion of respondents who responded that physical activity had increased over the past 12 months, the proportion of respondents who reported a decrease in physical activity varied and was higher in the female group than in the male group.When assessing physical activity habits in the period 2021-2025, a trend of an increase in the share of respondents attending sports training and a decrease in the share of respondents doing sports in their free time is observed, while the share of respondents not doing sports has not changed significantly during this period. The trends in the prevalence of attending sports training, doing sports in their free time and not doing sports are similar between urban and rural respondents. After assessing physical activity changes in five samples in different counties of Lithuania, uneven physical activity changes were identified. Compared to the pandemic period, a larger share of respondents whose physical activity decreased over 12 months is observed in Kaunas, Klaipėda, Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Alytus, Marijampolė and Utena counties. Compared to the pandemic period, a decrease in the share of respondents who indicated an increase in physical activity is observed in Alytus and Marijampolė counties.Compared to the pandemic period, a higher proportion of respondents who do not exercise is observed in Šiauliai, Marijampolė, Tauragė and Utena counties.Conclusions. Changes in physical activity and prevalence of sports among the Lithuanian population in the period 2021-2025 changed significantly and differed depending on various social and demographic factors.