BACKGROUND: Limited knowledge exists on how childhood social, health-related and economic circumstances predict adult physical inactivity. Our aim was a) to examine how various childhood adversities and living conditions predict leisure-time physical inactivity in early adulthood and b) to find out whether these associations are mediated through the respondent's own education.
METHODS: The Health 2000 Study of the Finnish young adults aged 18-29 was utilized. The cross-sectional data were based on interviews and questionnaires including retrospective information on childhood circumstances. The analyses were carried out on 68% of the original sample (N=1894). The outcome measure was leisure-time physical inactivity.
RESULTS: Only few of the eleven childhood adversities were related with physical activity in early adulthood. Having been bullied at school was associated with physical inactivity independently of the other childhood circumstances and the respondent's own education. Low parental education predicted leisure-time physical inactivity in men and the association was mediated by the respondent´s own education. Respondents with only primary or vocational education were more likely to be physically inactive during leisure-time compared to those with secondary or higher education.
CONCLUSIONS: There is some evidence that few specific childhood adversities, especially bullying at school, have long-lasting effects on physical activity levels.