Sport, the differences between north and south: how much does a sedentary lifestyle cost?
The differences between Northern and Southern Italy have an impact on the spread of physical and sporting practice, with negative consequences for the health, public spending and lifestyle of the population, with particular reference to minors. In the Center and North, 42% of the adult population practices sport regularly and 26.8% occasionally. The percentages are reversed in the South: the majority practice sports occasionally (33.2%) while the minority practices it regularly (27.2%).
The gap is reflected on the percentage of sedentary, with particular reference to minors: 15% in the Center-North and 22% in the Center-South. In the south, life expectancy is lower than 3 years compared to those of central-northern adults. This is the synthesis that emerges from the research “The social and health cost of a sedentary lifestyle”made by Svimez and from Uispwith the support of Sport and Health SpA.
According to what emerged from the research, almost half of the southerners do not practice any sport, compared to 30% in the Center and North. Furthermore, barely 20% of people in the South do sport continuously. The consequences are evident: 12.08% of southern adults are obese compared to about 10% in the Center and North, almost one in 3 children between the ages of 6 and 17 is overweight in the South, compared to one in five boys in the North Center.
There was a reduction in health expenditure of 97 euros among those who practice sports. Habits and lifestyles are also important in explaining the health expenditure of families: a smoker spends 87 euros more per year. The Covid crisis has aggravated the situation, public sports facilities penalize users in the South, which is why structural interventions are needed. sporting habits of Italians to verify the relationship between physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle, also with respect to the supply and demand conditions in the various Italian regions, with particular reference to the South.
Another objective is to estimate the economic impact of the phenomenon of sedentary lifestyle on the national health system, through the use of statistical and econometric techniques. Finally, the gaps concerning the aptitude for sports between the South and the rest of the country were investigated. In the diffusion of sporting practice, socio-cultural inequalities also play a role. The attitude to practice sports is not homogeneous in the various regions of the country, also due to the different availability of facilities and organized structures. Noteworthy is the role played by the restrictions related to pandemic from Covid-19 last year.
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