New Data Briefs Released Pertaining to Physical Activity 

The National Center for Health Statistics recently published two data summaries from the 2020 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) pertaining to physical activity. One was focused on youth participation in organized sports (Black, Terlizzi, and Vahratian 2022), while the other examined adult adherence to physical activity guidelines (Elgaddal, Kramarow, and Reuben, 2022) 

Black, Terlizzi, and Vahratian (2022) found that over half of the children between the ages of 6-17 years from the 2020 NHIS were involved in organized sports. Participation in sports varied significantly, however, based on parental education, family income, race/Hispanic origin, region of the country, and social vulnerability of the county of residence. Details describing these differences in parent-reported participation rates over the prior year can be seen by accessing their full report. 

Elgaddal, Kramarow, and Reuben (2022) found that less than a quarter of adults (24.2 percent) in the 2020 NHIS met both the aerobic and muscle-strengthening recommendations put forward in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (2018). Almost half of the adults (46.3 percent) failed to meet either the aerobic recommendations or the muscle-strengthening recommendation. The percentage of adults meeting both guidelines varied significantly by sex, age, race/Hispanic origin, and family income. Interested readers can access the full report for more details. 

In related research, Frank Lin and colleagues (Kuo, Di, Ferrucci, & Lin, 2021) evaluated the relationship between hearing loss and physical activity in 291 older adults (60-69 years) using data from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. They found a significant relationship; such that greater degrees of hearing loss were associated with less physical activity. Click here to read their publication reviewing this data.

References  

Black L, Terlizzi E, Vahratian A. (2022) Organized sports participation among children aged 6–17 years: United States, 2020. NCHS Data Brief, no 441. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 

Elgaddal N, Kramarow E, Reuben C. (2022) Physical activity among adults aged 18 and over: United States, 2020. NCHS Data Brief, no 443. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.   

Kuo, P., Di, J., Ferrucci, L., & Lin, F. (2021) Analysis of hearing loss and physical activity among US adults aged 60-69 years. JAMA Network, 4(4):e215484. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2018) Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. Washington, D.C.: Department of Health and Human Services.