Sedentary Behavior Plateauing Among U.S. Adults

⁢ Updated May 28, 2025

New research indicates that while ‍sedentary behavior among adults in the U.S. decreased between ⁤2013 and⁤ 2020,this⁣ trend has as stalled. The findings were published⁢ in the Journal ‍of ⁢the American Medical Association.

Researchers, led by ⁣Sidong Li, Ph.D., at the⁣ University⁢ of Science⁢ and Technology of China, ⁢analyzed data from the National Health and⁤ Nutrition⁢ Examination Survey spanning from 2013‍ to 2023. The study sought to determine changes in average sedentary time among U.S. adults.

The study revealed a meaningful drop in average ⁤sedentary time from 7.1 hours daily between 2013 and 2014, to 5.9 hours daily between 2017 and 2020.Though, from 2021 to‍ 2023, ⁤the average remained relatively stable at 6.0 hours per day. A similar trend was observed in the prevalence of prolonged sedentary behavior, defined as ‍six or more hours per day. This figure fell from 54.6% in 2013-2014 to 35.5% in 2017-2020, before holding steady at 36.7% in 2021-2023. Thes patterns were ⁤consistent across age, sex,⁤ and racial and ethnic groups. Older adults and ‍Hispanic⁤ participants, however, exhibited a lower prevalence of prolonged sedentary behavior.

“This ⁤study highlights the enduring impact that this global pandemic may have on daily living patterns,” the authors write.

what’s next

Further research is needed to understand ‍the⁤ factors contributing to ⁤the‍ recent plateau in the reduction of sedentary time and to develop effective ⁤strategies for promoting increased⁢ physical activity⁣ and reducing sedentary behavior.