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About the Authors:
Kathryn R. Martin
* E-mail: [email protected]
Affiliations Epidemiology Group, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom, Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London, London, United Kingdom, Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute of Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland United States of America
Rachel Cooper
Affiliation: Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London, London, United Kingdom
Tamara B. Harris
Affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Population Sciences, National Institute of Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland United States of America
Soren Brage
Affiliation: Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Rebecca Hardy
Affiliation: Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London, London, United Kingdom
Diana Kuh
Affiliation: Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at University College London, London, United Kingdom
on behalf of the NSHD scientific and data collection team
Introduction
Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) can be defined as volitional activity obtained through participation in sports, exercise and recreation at a moderate and/or vigorous intensity level, independent of other key physical activity (PA) domains, i.e., active transport (purposeful walking or cycling), domestic and occupational activity [1], [2]. In most high-income nations, modern technology and amenities have reduced the necessity for regular higher-level intensity activity via housework, physically demanding occupations, and active transport [3]. This is reflected in time-trend data showing declines in the average amount of time spent in domestic and work activity domains over recent decades [4], [5]; trends in active transport have been mixed, indicating both a decline [4] and an increase in this domain [6], [7]. Unlike other domains, time spent in LTPA has either remained stable [7], [8] or increased in several countries [2], [6], including the United Kingdom (UK) [9], [10]. Despite this population-level increase in LTPA, the proportion of UK adults meeting the minimum recommended PA guidelines (≥30 minutes of moderate or vigorous intensity PA on ≥5 days a week) was low in the Health Survey for England 2008 [10], [11]. Among older (≥65 years) UK adults, only 16% of men and 12% of women met the...