Influence of educational level on physical activity, health perception, and psychological well-being among Spanish women: a descriptive cross-sectional study
Abstract
The aim of this study was to analyze the subjective perception of health levels, physical activity, and psychological profile among Spanish women. Furthermore, it sought to examine the association between educational level and variables related to quality of life, in order to identify patterns and potential inequalities that could inform the design of interventions aimed at improving physical and mental well-being in this population group. Using a selective analytical cross-sectional design, a total of 947 questionnaires were collected from Spanish women. Each participant completed three validated tests (IPAQ, GHQ, SF-12). Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were performed using a decision tree model. The results revealed the existence of differences according to educational level for the items SF12-1 (p<.001; ES=.16), SF12-2 (p<.001; ES=.14), SF12-3 (p<.05; ES=.09), SF12-8 (p<.001; ES=.15), SF12-10 (p<.001; ES=.17), GHQ12-9 (p<.05; ES=.10), GHQ12-10 (p<.05; ES=.12), IPAQ-1 (p<.05; ES=.16), IPAQ-3 (p<.005; ES=.26), IPAQ-4 (p<.05; ES=.29), and IPAQ-5 (p<.05; ES=.18), with no differences being identified for the remaining items analyzed. The reported effect sizes were considered small or moderate. The findings confirmed the association between educational level and the dimensions analyzed, highlighting the need to consider educational level in the design of physical activity programs for Spanish women.
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References
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