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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Impact of physical activity on medical expenditures among adults downhearted and blue
1Physical Activity and Health Branch, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. gbw9@cdc.gov
Objective:
To examine inactivity-associated medical expenditures in adults, controlling for frequency of feeling downhearted/blue.
Methods:
Using the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey (N=12,250), expenditures were analyzed by comparison and multivariate models. Expenditures were updated to 2003 dollars.
Results:
Medical expenditure was 354 dollars (t=3.80, P<0.01) lower for active than inactive persons: 6.1% of the expenditure (133 dollars in 1987, 429 dollars in 2003) was inactivity associated. The total inactivity-associated expenditure was near 12 billion dollars in 1987 (38 billion dollars in 2003).
Conclusions:
Medical expenditure increased with frequency of feeling downhearted/blue and was higher for inactive than active people.
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