Table. Joint Distribution of Self-Reported Sitting Time and Leisure-Time Physical Activity by Sex and Age Category, NHANES, 2015-2016.
| Leisure-Time Physical Activitya | Daily Sitting Time, No. (%) [95% CI]b | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to <4 h | 4 to <6 h | 6 to 8 h | >8 h | |
| Sex | ||||
| Men (n = 2858) | ||||
| Inactive | 309 (7.9) [6.5-9.7] | 369 (11.2) [9.3-13.4] | 414 (13.1) [11.3-15.1] | 293 (10.5) [9.1-12.1] |
| Insufficiently active | 74 (2.5) [1.9-3.4] | 87 (3.3) [2.5-4.2] | 99 (3.6) [2.7-4.8] | 89 (4.4) [2.8-6.6] |
| Sufficiently active | 64 (2.3) [1.6-3.2] | 86 (3.2) [2.2-4.5] | 95 (4.4) [3.5-5.6] | 89 (4.6) [2.9-7.0] |
| Highly active | 182 (6.0) [4.6-7.7] | 208 (7.4) [6.3-8.8] | 252 (9.8) [8.3-11.5] | 148 (6.0) [4.4-8.1] |
| Women (n = 3065) | ||||
| Inactive | 373 (8.2) [6.4-10.5] | 409 (11.3) [9.6-13.2] | 501 (14.7) [12.3-17.5] | 350 (12.2) [11.0-13.6] |
| Insufficiently active | 90 (2.8) [2.0-4.0] | 110 (4.0) [2.9-5.6] | 142 (4.7) [3.5-6.3] | 114 (4.7) [3.3-6.5] |
| Sufficiently active | 101 (2.9) [2.3-3.8] | 110 (4.3) [3.2-5.7] | 120 (4.9) [4.0-6.0] | 90 (3.9) [2.8-5.5] |
| Highly active | 141 (5.0) [4.1-6.0] | 137 (4.9) [4.1-5.9] | 161 (6.5) [5.0-8.4] | 116 (5.1) [3.7-7.1] |
| Age, y | ||||
| 18-39 (n = 2208) | ||||
| Inactive | 200 (7.6) [6.1-9.0] | 234 (9.5) [7.3-11.7] | 250 (10.5) [8.7-12.2] | 182 (8.1) [6.8-9.3] |
| Insufficiently active | 48 (2.1) [1.2-2.9] | 66 (3.2) [2.1-4.3] | 83 (3.5) [2.6-4.4] | 78 (4.1) [3.0-5.3] |
| Sufficiently active | 66 (3.1) [2.2-4.0] | 86 (3.9) [2.8-5.1] | 89 (4.7) [3.3-6.1] | 86 (5.0) [3.2-6.7] |
| Highly active | 177 (7.6) [6.0-9.2] | 181 (8.6) [7.7-9.5] | 231 (10.7) [8.9-12.5] | 151 (8.0) [6.2-9.7] |
| 40-64 (n = 2362) | ||||
| Inactive | 329 (9.0) [6.8-11.2] | 320 (11.6) [9.0-14.1] | 366 (14.4) [11.4-17.4] | 267 (12.6) [11.0-14.3] |
| Insufficiently active | 85 (3.6) [2.0-5.1] | 79 (3.1) [1.9-4.2] | 100 (3.8) [2.6-5.1] | 94 (5.7) [3.6-7.9] |
| Sufficiently active | 67 (2.3) [1.4-3.2] | 70 (3.7) [2.3-5.2] | 84 (4.7) [3.9-5.5] | 70 (4.1) [2.4-5.7] |
| Highly active | 103 (4.6) [3.3-5.8] | 105 (4.7) [3.3-6.0] | 128 (7.2) [5.6-8.8] | 95 (5.0) [3.2-6.8] |
| ≥65 (n = 1353) | ||||
| Inactive | 153 (7.0) [5.3-8.7] | 224 (13.7) [11.0-16.5] | 299 (19.5) [16.0-22.9] | 194 (15.1) [12.7-17.6] |
| Insufficiently active | 31 (1.9) [0.5-3.4]c | 52 (5.9) [2.9-9.0] | 58 (6.0) [3.5-8.6] | 31 (2.6) [0.8-4.3]c |
| Sufficiently active | 32 (2.2) [0.7-3.7]c | 40 (3.4) [1.6-5.1] | 42 (4.5) [2.3-6.8] | 23 (3.2) [1.6-4.8] |
| Highly active | 43 (3.3) [2.1-4.5] | 59 (4.6) [2.6-6.7] | 54 (4.8) [3.3-6.4] | 18 (2.1) [1.1-3.2] |
Abbreviation: NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Leisure-time physical activity was assessed with the following questions: (1) “In a typical week, do you do any vigorous-intensity sports, fitness, or recreational activities that cause larger increases in breathing or heart rate like running or basketball for at least 10 minutes continuously [excluding work and transportation activities that have already been mentioned]?” (2) “In a typical week, on how many days do you do vigorous-intensity sports, fitness, or recreational activities?” (3) “How much time do you spend doing vigorous-intensity sports, fitness, or recreational activities on a typical day?” (4) “In a typical week, do you do any moderate-intensity sports, fitness, or recreational activities that cause a small increase in breathing or heart rate such as brisk walking, bicycling, swimming, or golf for at least 10 minutes continuously?” (5) “In a typical week, on how many days do you do moderate-intensity sports, fitness, or recreational activities?” (6) “How much time do you spend doing moderate-intensity sports, fitness, or recreational activities on a typical day?” Total leisure-time physical activity was calculated as weekly minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity plus twice the reported minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity and was categorized according to current guidelines as highly active (>300 min/wk), sufficiently active (150-300 min/wk), insufficiently active (some activity but not enough to meet sufficiently active definition), or inactive (no moderate- or vigorous-intensity activity of ≥10 minutes).
Data are the unweighted number of respondents and percentage estimates weighted using full sample interview weights provided with NHANES data. Daily sitting time was assessed with the following question: “The following question is about sitting at work, at home, getting to and from places, or with friends, including time spent sitting at a desk, traveling in a car or bus, reading, playing cards, watching television, or using a computer. Do not include time spent sleeping. How much time do you usually spend sitting on a typical day?” Reported sitting time was categorized in approximate quartiles of 0 to less than 4, 4 to less than 6, 6 to 8, and more than 8 hours per day.
The relative standard error for this estimated prevalence is greater than 30%, indicating that the estimate is potentially unreliable and should be interpreted with caution.