PURPOSE:
The establishment of formal physical activity (PA) guidelines has led to considerable interest in quantifying participation in moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA). However, evidence on the context of MVPA at the population level is scarce. The purpose of this study was to provide types, location and purpose information of MVPA in a representative sample of adults.
METHODS:
Data from a representative sample of 1,234 Iowa adults were included in this study. Each participant performed a telephone-administered 24-hour PA recall method recalling the previous 24-hour's physical activities. Self-reported data from the recall instrument included time and types of reported activities across 5 distinct location and purpose codes. Reported activities were matched with corresponding metabolic equivalent (MET) scores from a reduced list of PA Compendium. MVPA was defined as any activities with assigned METs ≥ 3.0.
RESULTS:
Of the top 30 most frequently reported MVPAs, 16 were lifestyle activities involving walking in the definition, and only 4 can be regarded as traditional "exercises". Occupational activities (41% for purpose and 40% for location) and household activities (37% for purpose and 39% for location) accounted for nearly 80% of the total reported MVPA time. Time allocations across the purpose and location codes considerably differed by socio-demographic indicators.
CONCLUSION:
Lifestyle activities were more frequently reported than sports and/or recreational activities. Individuals with varying levels of socio-demographic indicators exhibited different patterns of use-of-time within the given day. A multi-domain approach is needed to better understand and increase MVPA in diverse populations of US adults.