Health-related activities in the American Time Use Survey

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey (ATUS) provides a comprehensive dataset on how individuals allocate their time.
• Understanding time allocation is crucial for health services research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the structure of the ATUS survey.
• To provide an overview of health-related activities reported by a large, nationally representative sample in 2003-2004.

Main Methods:

• Data collected via computer-assisted phone interviews from respondents aged 15+.
• Respondents reported activities from the "designated day" prior to the interview.
• Activities were categorized using a 6-digit coding system, with specific codes for waiting and travel time.

Main Results:

• In 2003-2004, 11.3% of American adults spent an average of 108 minutes on health-related activities.
• Specific activities included personal health self-care (5.6%), medical/care services (3.4%), and care for household/non-household members (approx. 1%).
• Health-related activity prevalence increased with age; 17.6% reported sports/exercise/recreation (114 min), with men more likely than women.

Conclusions:

• The ATUS is a valuable, publicly available resource for researchers.
• It enables exploration of factors influencing time spent on health activities and their interrelationships within a national sample.