Examining the association between income inequality and physical activity among Canadian youth during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This research aims to examine how relative income inequality, the inequitable distribution of income within an area affects physical activity levels in Canadian youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. From past research, we have seen the trend that as individuals age, they tend to partake in less physical activity. This trend has been seen to be even more significant in youth. The proposed research will use a retrospective cohort design and longitudinally examine Canadian youth at baseline (before the pandemic) and then the two following years of 2021 and 2022 to examine how aging and the effects of the pandemic altered activity levels. By examining past research, we hypothesize that income inequality can play a significant role in physical activity levels through a variety of methods, such as erosion of social cohesion and lack of environmentally safe places to partake in physical activity. Social cohesion is the connectedness within an area, it has been shown that in areas of high-income inequality, social cohesion becomes eroded and negative health outcomes result. Additionally, areas of high-income inequality also result in less access to environmentally safe places such as parks, trails and sidewalks to partake in physical activity. Furthermore, COVID-19 is believed to have amplified the erosion of social cohesion and further limited access to physical activity. The success of this proposal will help identify who is at greater risk for physical inactivity and inform public health policymakers of possible interventions needed in areas of higher relative income inequality.