15% of Americans do not engage in any leisure-time physical activity, Southerners fare the worst: Study
Fifteen percent of Americans are physically inactive and people in the South are the worst. State and territory-level estimates of physical inactivity among US adults range from 17.3% of people in Colorado to 47.7% in Puerto Rico, according to new maps by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which shows America’s high levels of inactivity. The South (28%) has the highest prevalence of physical inactivity, followed by the Northeast (25.6%), Midwest (25.0%), and the West (20.5%).
Physical inactivity for adults is defined as not engaging in any leisure-time physical activity during the past month such as running or gardening.
Inactivity currently contributes to 1 in 10 premature deaths in the US. Inadequate levels of physical activity are associated with $117 billion in annual healthcare costs, say CDC experts.
“Too many adults are inactive, and they may not know how much it affects their health. Being physically active helps you sleep better, feel better and reduce your risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers,” says Dr. Ruth Petersen, Director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, in a statement.
Why physical activity matters
The physical activity guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. For example, this can be broken into smaller amounts such as 25 minutes every day or 30 minutes/five times a week.
According to the CDC, active people are at less risk for serious health problems like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some cancers. For people with chronic diseases, physical activity can help manage these conditions and complications.
Estimates show that about 1 in 2 adults in the US live with a chronic disease, and about half of this group have two or more. However, only half of adults get the physical activity they need to help reduce and prevent chronic diseases.
“Getting enough physical activity could prevent 1 in 10 premature deaths. It could also prevent 1 in 8 cases of breast cancer, 1 in 8 cases of colorectal cancer, 1 in 12 cases of diabetes, and 1 in 15 cases of heart disease,” adds CDC.
The study
The study used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), an ongoing state-based, telephone interview survey conducted by CDC and state health departments.
In the current study, respondents were classified as physically inactive if they responded “no” to the following question: “During the past month, other than your regular job, did you participate in any physical activities or exercises such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?”
Despite the many benefits of moderate physical activity, the analysis found that all states and territories had more than 15% of adults who were physically inactive.
“In four states (Colorado, Washington, Utah, and Oregon) and the District of Columbia, 15% to less than 20% of adults were physically inactive,” says the analysis.
The researchers found that in 24 states, 20% to less than 25% of adults were physically inactive. In 15 states, 25% to less than 30% of adults were physically inactive.
In seven states - Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi, and two US territories - Puerto Rico and Guam - 30% or more of adults were physically inactive.
The maps, which used combined data from 2015 through 2018, also show noticeable differences in the prevalence of physical inactivity by race/ethnicity.
“Hispanics (31.7%) had the highest prevalence of physical inactivity, followed by non-Hispanic blacks (30.3%) and non-Hispanic whites (23.4%). In the majority of states, non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics had a significantly higher prevalence of inactivity than non-Hispanic whites,” says the analysis.
As part of an initiative, CDC is working with communities and partners across the country to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027 to improve overall health, quality of life and to reduce healthcare costs.