LEISURE TIME PHYSICAL INACTIVITY AMONG BRAZILIAN RAGPICKERS

Abstract

Ragpickers are informal workers who collect recyclable materials to earn a small wage.Their life and working conditions are extremely difficult. We examined leisure time physicalinactivity (PI) among a cohort of ragpickers in Pelotas, a city in southern Brazil.Ragpickers were matched by gender, age, and years of schooling with a sample of nonragpickersfrom the same poor neighborhoods. The cross-sectional study gathered databy interview on 990 individuals. PI were assessed using a leisure time physical activitiessection from a standard self-reporting questionnaire (IPAQ long version). The prevalenceof PI among ragpickers and non-ragpickers were 70.3% and 65.9, respectively (p=0.16).Among ragpickers PI was more common among females and those with higher ages,and among non-ragpickers with females, lower economic level and positivity to minorpsychiatric disorders. Ragpickers report similar PI than other poor workers living in the sameneighborhoods, with many of the same life conditions. Provide appropriate places to thepractice of physical activities and organized and attractive activities could be alternativesto minimize physical, mental and emotional disorders of these workers.