Physical Inactivity

Adults who are physically inactive, or who do not get the recommended 150 minutes per week of physical activity, are at a higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers, anxiety, and depression. Factors that can discourage physical activity include lack of safe exercise opportunities, lack of parks and recreational facilities, and poor air quality.^1,2

Physical inactivity was based on the following question: During the past 12 months, did you typically participate in any physical activities or exercises, such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise?” Those who responded “No” were considered to be physically inactive.

Findings from the 2019 Santa Barbara County CHNA

Santa Barbara County is below the Healthy People 2020 target for physical inactivity overall and for all demographic subgroups except the less than high school education subgroup. Most impacted demographic subgroups include those with household incomes below $35,000, those with some college education or less, and ethnic racial groups other than non-Hispanic White (see figures below).

Additional physical inactivity findings from the 2019 Santa Barbara County CHNA can be found in the Physical Inactivity Health Indicator Profile. Follow this link to learn more about the methods for health indicator profile analysis.

Figure 1. 2019 Percentage of Adults Reporting Physical Inactivity by Demographic Group

Click to Enlarge

For more information on physical inactivity findings from the 2019 Santa Barbara County CHNA, download the full, printable Physical Inactivity Health Indicator Profile.

^{1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Interventions. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/healthstrategies/physical-activity/interventions/programs.html}

^{2 World Health Organization. (n.d.). Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health. Physical inactivity: A global public health problem. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_inactivity/en/}