Overview
- A University of São Paulo study tracked 978 residents across three waves from 2014–2024 and found that overall leisure-time physical activity rose more among socially advantaged groups than among the most vulnerable.
- The paper, published in May 2026, reports that leisure activity for white, highly educated men rose from 51% to 65% while the most vulnerable group rose from 29% to 39%, widening the gap between groups.
- Researchers measured activity with the long International Physical Activity Questionnaire and defined vulnerability with a Multiple Jeopardy Index that combines sex, race/skin color and education on a 0–4 scale.
- Walking for commuting increased for the whole sample (from 61.8% to 71.6%) and showed no clear link to the vulnerability index, suggesting transport walking is driven by necessity and urban mobility rather than privilege.
- Authors and funders (FAPESP and a BRIDGE Global Health Partnership grant) say the findings point to environmental and structural causes of the gap and recommend policies that build safe public spaces, expand active‑transport infrastructure, and target support for racialized women with low education.