Sedentary Behavior in U.S. Adults Declined in Last Decade

WEDNESDAY, May 28, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Sedentary behavior among U.S. adults fell between 2013 and 2020 but plateaued after that, according to a research letter published online May 21 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Sidong Li, Ph.D., from the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, and colleagues analyzed data from participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate changes in sedentary time among U.S. adults from 2013 to 2023.

The researchers found that the mean sedentary time significantly decreased from 7.1 hours per day in 2013 to 2014 to 5.9 hours per day in 2017 to 2020. The mean sedentary time did not further decline after that (6.0 hours per day in 2021 to 2023). A similar pattern was seen for the weighted prevalence of prolonged sedentary behavior (six or more hours/day), which was 54.6 percent in 2013 to 2014 and decreased to 35.5 percent in 2017 to 2020 and remained similar in 2021 to 2023 (36.7 percent). Similar patterns were seen across age, sex, and race and ethnicity subgroups. However, older adults (aged 65 years and older) and Hispanic participants had 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.

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