Citation

Watson KB, Dai S, Paul P, Carlson SA, Carroll DD, Fulton J. J. Phys. Act. Health 2016; 13(11): 1192-1201.

Affiliation

Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Human Kinetics Publishers)

DOI

10.1123/jpah.2015-0695

PMID

27335226

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have examined participation in specific leisure-time physical activities (PA) among US adults. The purpose of this study was to identify specific activities that contribute substantially to total volume of leisure-time PA in US adults.

METHODS: Proportion of total volume of leisure-time PA moderate-equivalent minutes attributable to 9 specific types of activities was estimated using self-reported data from 21,685 adult participants (≥ 18 years) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999- 2006.

RESULTS: Overall, walking (28%), sports (22%), and dancing (9%) contributed most to PA volume. Attributable proportion was higher among men than women for sports (30% vs. 11%) and higher among women than men for walking (36% vs. 23%), dancing (16% vs. 4%), and conditioning exercises (10% vs. 5%). The proportion was lower for walking, but higher for sports, among active adults than those insufficiently active and increased with age for walking. Compared with other racial/ethnic groups, the proportion was lower for sports among non- Hispanic white men and for dancing among non-Hispanic white women.

CONCLUSIONS: Walking, sports, and dance account for the most activity time among US adults overall, yet some demographic variations exist. Strategies for PA promotion should be tailored to differences across population subgroups.

Language: en