title: The epidemiology of walking for exercise: implications for promoting activity among sedentary groups.
abstract: The relative contribution of walking to overall leisure-time physical activity participation rates was studied among respondents from the 45 states that participated in the 1990 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (n = 81,557). The percentages of low income, unemployed, and obese persons who engaged in leisure-time physical activity (range = 51.1% to 57.7%) were substantially lower than the percentage among the total adult population (70.3%). In contrast, the prevalence of walking for exercise among these sedentary groups (range = 32.5% to 35.9%) was similar to that among the total population (35.6%). Walking appears to be an acceptable, accessible exercise activity, especially among population subgroups with a low prevalence of leisure-time physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Office of Surveillance and Analysis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, USA.
authors.forename: P Z
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Brackbill
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Heath
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight; D004651:Employment; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016138:Walking