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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Visualization of Intensity Levels to Reduce the Gap Between Self-Reported and Directly Measured Physical Activity
Published on: March 7, 2019
Physical inactivity and overweight among Los Angeles County adults
Antronette K Yancey1, Cheryl M Wold, William J McCarthy
1Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California, USA. ayancey@ucla.edu
Objectives:
The present study examines sociodemographic, health status, health behavioral, and health-related self-perception correlates of physical inactivity in a large, multiethnic urban population.
Methods:
A random-digit-dialed telephone survey of a representative sample of 8353 Los Angeles County adults aged >/= 18 years was conducted between September 17, 1999 and December 31, 2000. Data were analyzed to assess the prevalence and identify independent correlates of physical inactivity, defined as <10 minutes of continuous physical activity weekly ("sedentary").
Results:
Overall, the prevalence of sedentary adults was 41%. Lower educational attainment, female gender, advancing age, non-U.S. birthplace, poorer self-perceived health status, self-perceived depression, smoking, leisure-time television watching/computer use, and receiving a diabetes diagnosis were significantly related to sedentariness in both bivariate and multivariate analyses.
Conclusions:
Mental and physical health status were prominent correlates of sedentariness. Lower socioeconomic class was also associated with sedentary behavior. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between self-perceived overweight and sedentary behavior.
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