The Influence of Neighborhood Social Capital on Leisure-Time Physical Activity: a Population-Based Study in Brazil

Environmentally targeted approaches to promote physical activity are emerging in recent years as a complementary strategy to the traditional individual approaches. This study explored the relation between community social capital and leisure-time physical activity in an adult population-based sample in Brazil. We applied a generalized estimating equation approach to analyze a cross-sectional survey of 3667 adults living in 149 neighborhoods. Social capital was assessed by scales that measured collective efficacy and social cohesion in the neighborhood. We find that individuals living in areas with higher level of social cohesion were more likely to be physically active even after controlling for potentially confounding individual and area-level covariates (PR = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.13, 2.16). Collective efficacy was not significantly associated with leisure-time physical activity. Interventions to strengthen social cohesion in the community may be an avenue for promoting physical activity.