Factors affecting participation decision and amount of physical activity among urban dwellers in Malaysia.

•The present study examines the physical activity behaviour among urban dwellers.•Older individuals are more likely to substitute less physically demanding health inputs for physical activity than younger individuals.•Being married and household size increase the household responsibilities and thus raise the likelihood of participation and the time spent.•Well-educated individuals spend less time on physical activity than less-educated individuals because they tend to use less time-intensive health inputs.•Individuals whose medical expenses are covered by insurance are likely to participate in physical activity.