Informe sobre la actividad física en horas libres y en horas de trabajo en la población estadounidense

• Published in: Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2003
• Subjects: acondicionamiento físico; ejercicio; deportes; grupos étnicos; género; Estados Unidos de América; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/s1020-49892003000900016; https://doaj.org/article/172af63c81fc488aa0cd6b99e472a38e

A recent report that bears the title Physical Activity Among Adults: United States, 2000 describes one of the few studies in the world that quantify total daily energy expenditure among adults in a given population. Most studies that attempt to assess the level of physical activity performed by a country's inhabitants look at leisure-time physical activity or energy expenditures while on the job. By looking at just one of those two areas, such studies provide only a partial view of the overall physical activity levels within a population. The report on the adult population of the United States of America, which is based on the National Center for Health Statistic's National Health Interview Survey for the year 2000, draws on data obtained through approximately 39 000 household interviews, covering a total of more than 100 000 individuals from all 50 states. In essence, indicators were developed, based on frequency and duration, for regular leisure-time physical activity (exercise, sports, or active hobbies) as well as for the amount of "usual daily activity" (i.e., commuting, performing household chores, running errands, and engaging in other activities not performed during leisure time). Regular leisure-time physical activity was thus defined as light or moderate activity for a minimum of 30 minutes per session at least five times a week, or intense activity for a minimum of 20 minutes per session at least three times a week. Light or moderate activity was defined as activity lasting at least 10 minutes that caused light sweating and a slight to moderate increase in breathing or heart rate. Vigorous activity was defined as activity lasting at least 10 minutes that caused heavy sweating or large increases in breathing or heart rate. In the case of "usual daily activity," its magnitude was determined by the number of times a day an individual had to walk or to lift or carry light, moderate, or heavy loads. These two indicators-regular leisure-time physical activity and usual daily activity-were combined to obtain ...