Table 1. Characteristics of the Participants in the National Institutes of Health–AARP Study by Leisure Time Physical Activity Types.
| Characteristic | Running, MET h/wk | Cycling, MET h/wk | Swimming, MET h/wk | Aerobic, MET h/wk | Golf, MET h/wk | Racquet sports, MET h/wk | Walking for exercise, MET h/wk | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 7.5 to <15 | 0 | 7.5 to <15 | 0 | 7.5 to <15 | 0 | 7.5 to <15 | 0 | 7.5 to <15 | 0 | 7.5 to <15 | 0 | 7.5 to <15 | |
| No. | 254 307 | 1759 | 205 580 | 22 585 | 245 373 | 7629 | 189 703 | 13 692 | 233 234 | 6411 | 262 404 | 1017 | 60 940 | 47 856 |
| Age, mean (SD), y | 70.6 (5.3) | 68.6 (5.2) | 70.5 (5.4) | 70.5 (5.3) | 70.5 (5.4) | 70.7 (5.3) | 70.5 (5.4) | 70.4 (5.3) | 70.5 (5.4) | 70.5 (5.4) | 70.5 (5.4) | 70.1 (5.3) | 70.5 (5.4) | 70.4 (5.3) |
| BMI, mean (SD) | 27.1 (4.9) | 25.3 (3.5) | 27.1 (5.0) | 26.7 (4.4) | 27.0 (4.8) | 27.0 (4.7) | 27.2 (4.9) | 26.4 (4.5) | 27.1 (5.0) | 26.7 (3.9) | 27.1 (4.9) | 25.5 (3.5) | 27.6 (5.3) | 26.5 (4.4) |
| Frequency, mean, h/wk | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 1.2 | 0 | 1.2 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 2.5 | 0 | 1.5 | 0 | 2.5 |
| MET from other activities, mean (SD), h/wk | 59.7 (51.3) | 77.6 (63.6) | 56.0 (48.2) | 66.9 (49.5) | 59.4 (51.7) | 74.3 (59.8) | 54.7 (48.2) | 57.9 (42.8) | 58.0 (52.8) | 54.8 (44.5) | 60.9 (54.1) | 63.5 (51.7) | 48.7 (44.8) | 52.3 (39.6) |
| Sex, % | ||||||||||||||
| Male | 56 | 82 | 55 | 65 | 58 | 57 | 60 | 49 | 53 | 76 | 57 | 76 | 58 | 58 |
| Female | 44 | 18 | 45 | 35 | 43 | 24 | 47 | 24 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 40 | 51 |
| Self-reported race and ethnicity, % | ||||||||||||||
| Asian | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Hispanic | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Non-Hispanic White | 93 | 90 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 95 | 93 | 93 | 92 | 96 | 93 | 93 | 93 | 94 |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Missing | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Educational level, % | ||||||||||||||
| Up to 11 y | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 12 y or completed high school | 17 | 8 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 18 | 13 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 8 | 19 | 15 |
| Post–high school | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 10 | 9 |
| Some college | 23 | 18 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | 14 | 23 | 23 |
| College graduate and postgraduate | 44 | 63 | 44 | 49 | 44 | 54 | 42 | 52 | 43 | 52 | 44 | 72 | 42 | 49 |
| Missing | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Smoking, % | ||||||||||||||
| Never | 37 | 42 | 37 | 38 | 37 | 38 | 36 | 39 | 38 | 31 | 37 | 42 | 33 | 39 |
| Former | ||||||||||||||
| <20 Cigarettes/d | 26 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 28 | 25 | 29 | 26 | 29 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 27 |
| ≥20 Cigarettes/d | 22 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 24 | 21 |
| Current | ||||||||||||||
| <20 Cigarettes/d | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| ≥20 Cigarettes/d | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Unknown | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Alcohol, g/d, % | ||||||||||||||
| Nondrinker | 21 | 15 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 14 | 22 | 17 | 23 | 11 | 21 | 10 | 22 | 19 |
| <10 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 51 | 49 | 54 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 48 | 51 |
| 10-19 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 18 | 13 | 20 | 12 | 14 |
| ≥20 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 21 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 15 |
| Unknown | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Marriage status, % | ||||||||||||||
| Married or living as married | 69 | 81 | 68 | 74 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 68 | 67 | 82 | 69 | 79 | 69 | 71 |
| Not married or living as married | 30 | 19 | 31 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 32 | 33 | 17 | 30 | 21 | 30 | 28 |
| Unknown | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
| Trouble with physical activity, % | ||||||||||||||
| None | 41 | 58 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 41 | 44 | 41 | 48 | 42 | 51 | 39 | 45 |
| Slight amount | 29 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 31 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 27 | 30 |
| Moderate amount | 14 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 13 |
| Quite a bit | 7 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 5 |
| An enormous amount | 1 | 0.4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0.9 | 1 | 0.7 | 1 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 0.7 |
| Missing | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| Ever had diabetes, % | ||||||||||||||
| No | 76 | 84 | 76 | 78 | 76 | 78 | 75 | 80 | 76 | 78 | 76 | 83 | 76 | 78 |
| Yes | 16 | 9 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 16 | 14 |
| Unknown | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Ever had myocardial infarction, angina, or coronary artery disease, % | ||||||||||||||
| No | 73 | 79 | 73 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 73 | 77 | 74 | 73 |
| Yes | 21 | 15 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 21 |
| Unknown | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Ever had a stroke, % | ||||||||||||||
| No | 89 | 92 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 88 | 90 | 89 | 89 | 89 | 90 | 88 | 90 |
| Yes | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Unknown | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Ever had emphysema, % | ||||||||||||||
| No | 83 | 89 | 83 | 85 | 83 | 84 | 83 | 85 | 83 | 85 | 83 | 87 | 81 | 85 |
| Yes | 8 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 7 |
| Unknown | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Ever had cancer, % | ||||||||||||||
| No | 62 | 63 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 61 | 62 | 61 | 62 | 59 | 62 | 62 |
| Yes | 28 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 |
| Unknown | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); MET, metabolic equivalent of task.