Prevalence of health-care providers asking older adults about their physical activity levels--United States, 1998.

Regular physical activity reduces the risk for heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure; helps in the control of weight; and maintains muscles, joints, and bone strength. Physical activity also might afford additional benefits for adults aged > or = 50 years by increasing coordination and balance, preventing falls, and maintaining independence. Despite these findings, the prevalence of inactivity increases with age, and approximately one third of older U.S. adults are not active during their leisure time. The national health objectives for 2010 include recommendations to increase the proportion of adults who engage in regular, preferably daily, moderate physical activity for > or = 30 minutes per day and vigorous physical activity > or = 3 days per week for > or = 20 minutes per occasion. To evaluate whether health-care providers ask about physical activity among older adults, CDC analyzed data from the 1998 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicate that approximately half of older adults who attended a routine check-up during the previous year reported being asked about physical activity by their health-care providers. To help older adults make lifestyle changes, health-care providers should ask older adults during routine check-ups about their physical activity levels.