Changes in Physical Inactivity Among US Adults Overall and by Sociodemographic Characteristics, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2020 Versus 2018
Miriam E. Van Dyke, Tiffany J. Chen, Jasmine Y. Nakayama, Latetia V. Moore, Geoffrey P. Whitfield
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic may have disrupted people's work-life patterns and access to places to be physically active. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data were analyzed to assess changes in self-reported leisure-time physical inactivity. The results showed that prevalence of inactivity among US adults decreased 0.7 percentage points (95% CI: -1.2 to -0.3), from 24.5% in 2018 to 23.8% in 2020, and the greatest decreases were observed among rural-dwelling women, rural-dwelling men, and non-Hispanic White women. These findings highlight a need to understand and address factors that lead to differential changes in leisure-time physical inactivity across subpopulations during public health emergencies.