Socio-cultural characteristics of physical activity habits in Israel (1992-2008)

In spite of the fact that the health, mental, and educational benefits of physical activity are well documented, information is still lacking regarding the physical activity patterns in Israeli society. The purpose of the present study is to shed light on the changes of physical activity practices between the years 1992-2008 and to analyze the main reasons for such changes. A survey was conducted among 501 adults (ages 18-69) representing the Jewish Hebrew-speaking population of Israel. The percentage of Israelis who engaged in physical activity more than doubled between 1992 and 2008. Almost 56 percent of Israelis took part in some activity on a regular basis in 2008. This investigation of some of these factors uncovers a cultural transformation as well as demographic, global, and cognitive processes, all of which affected and reflected upon physical activity in Israeli society during that period.