Roughly one in four adults worldwide do not meet global activity level standards, increasing their risk for diseases, including cancer, according to a study published in The Lancet Global Health. Specifically, in the United States, approximately 40% of adults were insufficiently active in 2016.
Sufficient activity levels are defined as at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week or a combination of these two components.
The researchers analyzed 358 population-based surveys administered in 168 countries, representing 1.9 million participants.
Analysis of 358 surveys across 168 countries @LancetGH suggests that the 2025 global physical activity target (a 10% relative reduction in insufficient physical activity) will not be met. https://t.co/uyE9qwGhZu#OpenAccess #PhysicalActivity #MoveMore
— Ruth Carlyle PhD (@RuthCarlyle) September 5, 2018
The global age-standardized prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 27.5% in 2016, and global levels of physical activity showed no improvement from 2001 to 2016. In 2016, activity levels differed between men and women by more than 8 percentage points: 23.4% in men versus 31.7% in women. Between 2001 and 2016, the researchers observed an increase of insufficient activity in high-income countries from 32% to 37%. In low-income countries, activity levels remained similar at 16% and 16.2%, respectively.
A global assessment of physical activity in 1.9 million people in 168 countries shows minimal improvement since 2000 and well short of target https://t.co/JXvhGWUhOy @TheLancet @LancetGH by @WHO Regina Guthold @fiona_bull and colleagues #OA pic.twitter.com/Bgon0Tvecp
— Eric Topol (@EricTopol) September 4, 2018
The highest levels in 2016 were observed in women in Latin America and the Caribbean (43.7%), south Asia (43.0%), and high-income Western countries (42.3%). The lowest levels were in men from Oceania (12.3%), east and southeast Asia (17.6%), and sub-Saharan Africa (17.9%).
If activity level trends do not improve, a 2025 global physical activity goal (a 10% relative reduction in insufficient physical activity) will not be met, according to the researchers.
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Source: The Lancet Global Health
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