Trends in the Prevalence of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors National YRBS: 1991—2017
The national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) monitors health behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults in the United States. The national YRBS is conducted every two years during the spring semester and provides data representative of 9th through 12th grade students in public and private schools throughout the United States.
| Percentages | Trend from 1991–20171 | Change from 2015–20172 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1993 | 1995 | 1997 | 1999 | 2001 | 2003 | 2005 | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 | 2013 | 2015 | 2017 | ||
| Were not physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes on at least 1 day (adding up time spent in doing any kind of physical activity that increased their heart rate and made them breathe hard some of the time during the 7 days before the survey) |
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| —3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13.8 | 15.2 | 14.3 | 15.4 | No change 2011—2017 | No change |
| Were physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day on 5 or more days (adding up time spent in doing any kind of physical activity that increased their heart rate and made them breathe hard some of the time during the 7 days before the survey) |
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| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 49.5 | 47.3 | 48.6 | 46.5 | No change 2011—2017 | No change |
| Were physically active for a total of at least 60 minutes per day on all 7 days (adding up time spent in doing any kind of physical activity that increased their heart rate and made them breathe hard some of the time during the 7 days before the survey) |
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| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 28.7 | 27.1 | 27.1 | 26.1 | No change 2011—2017 | No change |
| Playing video or computer games or using a computer 3 or more hours per day (for something that was not school work on an average school day) |
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| — | — | — | — | — | — | 22.1 | 21.1 | 24.9 | 24.9 | 31.1 | 41.3 | 41.7 | 43.0 | Increased 2003—2017 | No change |
| Watching television 3 or more hours per day (on an average school day) |
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| — | — | — | — | 42.8 | 38.3 | 38.2 | 37.2 | 35.4 | 32.8 | 32.4 | 32.5 | 24.7 | 20.7 | Decreased 1999—2017 Decreased 1999—2013 Decreased 2013—2017 |
Decreased |
| Went to physical education classes on 1 or more days (in an average week when they were in school) |
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| 48.9 | 52.1 | 59.6 | 48.8 | 56.1 | 51.7 | 55.7 | 54.2 | 53.6 | 56.4 | 51.8 | 48.0 | 51.6 | 51.7 | No change 1991—2017 | No change |
| Went to physical education classes on all 5 days (in an average week when they were in school) |
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| 41.6 | 34.3 | 25.4 | 27.4 | 29.1 | 32.2 | 28.4 | 33.0 | 30.3 | 33.3 | 31.5 | 29.4 | 29.8 | 29.9 | No change 1991—2017 | No change |
| Played on at least one sports team (counting any teams run by their school or community groups during the 12 months before the survey) |
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| — | — | — | — | 55.1 | 55.2 | 57.6 | 56.0 | 56.3 | 58.3 | 58.4 | 54.0 | 57.6 | 54.3 | No change 1999—2017 | No change |
| Did exercises to strengthen or tone muscles on 3 or more days (such as, push-ups, sit-ups, or weight lifting, during the 7 days before the survey) |
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| 47.8 | 51.9 | 50.3 | 51.4 | 53.6 | 53.4 | ||||||||||
- Based on linear and quadratic trend analyses using logistic regression models controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, and grade, p < 0.05. Significant linear trends (if present) across all available years are described first followed by linear changes in each segment of significant quadratic trends (if present).
- Based on t-test analysis, p < 0.05.
- Not available.
Page last reviewed: April 9, 2019