Original Article Physical activity behaviours of adults in the Greater Green Triangle region of rural Australia Clare Vaughan, 1 Annamari Kilkkinen, 1 Benjamin Philpot, 1 Joanne Brooks, 1 Adrian Schoo, 1 Tiina Laatikainen, 1,2 Anna Chapman, 1 Edward D. Janus 1,3 and James A. Dunbar 1 1 Greater Health, Greater Green Triangle University Department of Rural Health, Flinders and Deakin Universities, Warrnambool, 3 Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Western Hospital, Footscray, Victoria, Australia; and 2 National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland Abstract Objective: To assess physical activity (PA) behaviours of adults in rural Australia. Design and setting: Three cross-sectional surveys in the Greater Green Triangle area covering the south-east of South Australia (Limestone Coast), and south-west (Corangamite Shire) and north-west (Wimmera) of Victoria during 2004–2006. Participants: A total of 1546 persons, aged 25– 74 years, randomly selected from the electoral roll. Main outcome measures: Overall PA, leisure-time PA, occupational PA, active commuting and moderate- to-vigorous PA. Results: Approximately 80% of participants, more women than men, engaged in 30 minutes or more of daily PA. Only 30% (95% CI 26.3, 33.0) of men and 21% (95% CI 18.3, 23.9) of women did moderate-to- vigorous PA for at least 20–30 minutes four or more times a week. In leisure time, most participants were moderately active; almost one-fifth were inactive and another fifth highly active. Two-thirds of men engaged in high-level occupational PA, compared with one-sixth of women. Only 30% of participants actively com- muted to work. There was a tendency for a positive association between income level and leisure-time PA. Conclusions: One-fifth of adults in rural Australia were inactive. While there was a high prevalence of partici- pants who engaged in daily PA, few did so at moderate- to-vigorous intensity to achieve health benefits. As occupational PA is difficult to change, improvements in levels of PA are more likely during leisure-time and for some people by engaging in commuting PA. KEY WORDS: health-enhancing physical activity, leisure-time physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, population survey, rurality. Introduction Physical inactivity is estimated to be responsible for 7% of the total burden of disease in Australia, 1 and ranked second behind tobacco smoking in the list of 10 major behavioural risk factors contributing to the national disease burden. People of all ages can improve their health and the quality of their lives through physical activity (PA). 2 It is recommended that adults accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity PA on most days of the week to achieve health benefits. 3,4 Weight maintenance, particu- larly after weight loss requires 60–90 minutes of moderate–vigorous PA (MVPA). 4 Moderate-intensity PA is widely accepted as that which elevates the breath- ing and heart rate and causes some perspiration. 2,5 As well as leisure-time PA (LTPA), there is evidence of the importance of incidental PA through work, active com- muting, home duties or gardening as strategies to accrue ‘sufficient physical activity’. 2,5 Vigorous exercise and resistance training have additional health benefits that complement all forms of moderate-intensity PA. 2,5 In the past decade in Australia, PA behaviour has generally been measured in major national and state- based surveys using various versions of the Active Australia survey, 6–8 but little is available from rural areas. Rural areas have higher levels of chronic diseases that are related to physical inactivity. 9 The current study was conducted in the Greater Green Triangle (GGT) region of south-east Australia. The disability adjusted life year (DALY) rates attributed to chronic disease for men in the Victorian Local Government Areas in the GGT Correspondence: Ms Clare Vaughan, Greater Health, Greater Green Triangle University Department of Rural Health, Flinders and Deakin Universities, PO Box 423, Warrnambool, Victoria, 3280, Australia. Email: clare.vaughan@greaterhealth.org Accepted for publication 20 December 2007. Aust. J. Rural Health (2008) 16, 92–99 © 2008 The Authors Journal Compilation © 2008 National Rural Health Alliance Inc. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1584.2008.00957.x