The General Situation and Characteristics of Global Population on the Physical Inactivity

Objective:To understand the current worldwide prevalence of physical inactivity and its characteristics,and provide a reference to relevant departments on the development of prevention and control strategies.Methods:Collecting research reports about physical inactivity published in international journals by WHO in the past 20 years,this paper horizontally compares the epidemic situation of physical inactivity of different countries and regions,longitudinally compares the trends of different countries and regions,and reveals the global situations and characteristics of physical inactivity.Results:Overall incidence rate of physical inactivity for people elder than 15 years old is about 31.1% globally,higher in women than men,higher for adolescents and children than elderly population,and it is correlated with demographic characteristics such as occupation,education level,race/ethnicity,marital status,and socioeconomic status.The rate is higher for developed countries than developing countries,urban than rural areas,and especially for larger cities in fast-growing developing countries.Although occupational,communication,and household physical activity are in decline,they are still a major contributor to the level of physical activity,and lack of leisure-time physical activity is the bottleneck for improvement of overall physical activity level.Conclusion:Physical inactivity has been prevalent in the world,and becomes a growing threat to the health of global population.Taking relevant action to slow down and stop it has become a global public health priority.