Regina Guthold1, Gretchen A Stevens2, Leanne M Riley3, Fiona C Bull4. 1. Department for Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. Electronic address: gutholdr@who.int. 2. Department for Information, Evidence and Research, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. 3. Department for Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland. 4. Department for Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Insufficient physical activity is a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases, and has a negative effect on mental health and quality of life. We describe levels of insufficient physical activity across countries, and estimate global and regional trends. METHODS: We pooled data from population-based surveys reporting the prevalence of insufficient physical activity, which included physical activity at work, at home, for transport, and during leisure time (ie, not doing at least 150 min of moderate-intensity, or 75 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or any equivalent combination of the two). We used regression models to adjust survey data to a standard definition and age groups. We estimated time trends using multilevel mixed-effects modelling. FINDINGS: We included data from 358 surveys across 168 countries, including 1·9 million participants. Global age-standardised prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 27·5% (95% uncertainty interval 25·0-32·2) in 2016, with a difference between sexes of more than 8 percentage points (23·4%, 21·1-30·7, in men vs 31·7%, 28·6-39·0, in women). Between 2001, and 2016, levels of insufficient activity were stable (28·5%, 23·9-33·9, in 2001; change not significant). The highest levels in 2016, were in women in Latin America and the Caribbean (43·7%, 42·9-46·5), south Asia (43·0%, 29·6-74·9), and high-income Western countries (42·3%, 39·1-45·4), whereas the lowest levels were in men from Oceania (12·3%, 11·2-17·7), east and southeast Asia (17·6%, 15·7-23·9), and sub-Saharan Africa (17·9%, 15·1-20·5). Prevalence in 2016 was more than twice as high in high-income countries (36·8%, 35·0-38·0) as in low-income countries (16·2%, 14·2-17·9), and insufficient activity has increased in high-income countries over time (31·6%, 27·1-37·2, in 2001). INTERPRETATION: If current trends continue, the 2025 global physical activity target (a 10% relative reduction in insufficient physical activity) will not be met. Policies to increase population levels of physical activity need to be prioritised and scaled up urgently. FUNDING: None. This is an Open Access article published under the CC BY 3.0 IGO license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. In any use of this article, there should be no suggestion that WHO endorses any specific organisation, products or services. The use of the WHO logo is not permitted. This notice should be preserved along with the article's original URL.
BACKGROUND: Insufficient physical activity is a leading risk factor for non-communicable diseases, and has a negative effect on mental health and quality of life. We describe levels of insufficient physical activity across countries, and estimate global and regional trends. METHODS: We pooled data from population-based surveys reporting the prevalence of insufficient physical activity, which included physical activity at work, at home, for transport, and during leisure time (ie, not doing at least 150 min of moderate-intensity, or 75 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or any equivalent combination of the two). We used regression models to adjust survey data to a standard definition and age groups. We estimated time trends using multilevel mixed-effects modelling. FINDINGS: We included data from 358 surveys across 168 countries, including 1·9 million participants. Global age-standardised prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 27·5% (95% uncertainty interval 25·0-32·2) in 2016, with a difference between sexes of more than 8 percentage points (23·4%, 21·1-30·7, in men vs 31·7%, 28·6-39·0, in women). Between 2001, and 2016, levels of insufficient activity were stable (28·5%, 23·9-33·9, in 2001; change not significant). The highest levels in 2016, were in women in Latin America and the Caribbean (43·7%, 42·9-46·5), south Asia (43·0%, 29·6-74·9), and high-income Western countries (42·3%, 39·1-45·4), whereas the lowest levels were in men from Oceania (12·3%, 11·2-17·7), east and southeast Asia (17·6%, 15·7-23·9), and sub-Saharan Africa (17·9%, 15·1-20·5). Prevalence in 2016 was more than twice as high in high-income countries (36·8%, 35·0-38·0) as in low-income countries (16·2%, 14·2-17·9), and insufficient activity has increased in high-income countries over time (31·6%, 27·1-37·2, in 2001). INTERPRETATION: If current trends continue, the 2025 global physical activity target (a 10% relative reduction in insufficient physical activity) will not be met. Policies to increase population levels of physical activity need to be prioritised and scaled up urgently. FUNDING: None. This is an Open Access article published under the CC BY 3.0 IGO license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. In any use of this article, there should be no suggestion that WHO endorses any specific organisation, products or services. The use of the WHO logo is not permitted. This notice should be preserved along with the article's original URL.
Authors: Dalton Bertolim Précoma; Gláucia Maria Moraes de Oliveira; Antonio Felipe Simão; Oscar Pereira Dutra; Otávio Rizzi Coelho; Maria Cristina de Oliveira Izar; Rui Manuel Dos Santos Póvoa; Isabela de Carlos Back Giuliano; Aristóteles Comte de Alencar Filho; Carlos Alberto Machado; Carlos Scherr; Francisco Antonio Helfenstein Fonseca; Raul Dias Dos Santos Filho; Tales de Carvalho; Álvaro Avezum; Roberto Esporcatte; Bruno Ramos Nascimento; David de Pádua Brasil; Gabriel Porto Soares; Paolo Blanco Villela; Roberto Muniz Ferreira; Wolney de Andrade Martins; Andrei C Sposito; Bruno Halpern; José Francisco Kerr Saraiva; Luiz Sergio Fernandes Carvalho; Marcos Antônio Tambascia; Otávio Rizzi Coelho-Filho; Adriana Bertolami; Harry Correa Filho; Hermes Toros Xavier; José Rocha Faria-Neto; Marcelo Chiara Bertolami; Viviane Zorzanelli Rocha Giraldez; Andrea Araújo Brandão; Audes Diógenes de Magalhães Feitosa; Celso Amodeo; Dilma do Socorro Moraes de Souza; Eduardo Costa Duarte Barbosa; Marcus Vinícius Bolívar Malachias; Weimar Kunz Sebba Barroso de Souza; Fernando Augusto Alves da Costa; Ivan Romero Rivera; Lucia Campos Pellanda; Maria Alayde Mendonça da Silva; Aloyzio Cechella Achutti; André Ribeiro Langowiski; Carla Janice Baister Lantieri; Jaqueline Ribeiro Scholz; Silvia Maria Cury Ismael; José Carlos Aidar Ayoub; Luiz César Nazário Scala; Mario Fritsch Neves; Paulo Cesar Brandão Veiga Jardim; Sandra Cristina Pereira Costa Fuchs; Thiago de Souza Veiga Jardim; Emilio Hideyuki Moriguchi; Jamil Cherem Schneider; Marcelo Heitor Vieira Assad; Sergio Emanuel Kaiser; Ana Maria Lottenberg; Carlos Daniel Magnoni; Marcio Hiroshi Miname; Roberta Soares Lara; Artur Haddad Herdy; Cláudio Gil Soares de Araújo; Mauricio Milani; Miguel Morita Fernandes da Silva; Ricardo Stein; Fernando Antonio Lucchese; Fernando Nobre; Hermilo Borba Griz; Lucélia Batista Neves Cunha Magalhães; Mario Henrique Elesbão de Borba; Mauro Ricardo Nunes Pontes; Ricardo Mourilhe-Rocha Journal: Arq Bras Cardiol Date: 2019-11-04 Impact factor: 2.000
Authors: Ashley B West; Kelsey M Bittel; Michael A Russell; M Blair Evans; Scherezade K Mama; David E Conroy Journal: Transl Behav Med Date: 2020-10-12 Impact factor: 3.046
Authors: Mamoun T Mardini; Subhash Nerella; Amal A Wanigatunga; Santiago Saldana; Ramon Casanova; Todd M Manini Journal: AMIA Annu Symp Proc Date: 2021-01-25