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Caroline A. Macera, PhD, Sandra A. Ham, MS, Deborah A. Jones, PhD, C. Dexter Kimsey, PhD, Mseh, Barbara E. Ainsworth, PhD and Linda J. Neff, MS

Caroline A. Macera, Sandra A. Ham, Deborah A. Jones, and C. Dexter Kimsey are with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. Barbara E. Ainsworth and Linda J. Neff are with the University of South Carolina, Columbia.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Sandra A. Ham, Physical Activity and Health Branch, Mail Stop K-46, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy, NE, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717 (e-mail: sham{at}cdc.gov).

Objectives. This study explored the limitations of identifying sedentary individuals via an existing screening question in a state-based surveillance system.

Methods. A national sample (n = 7529) of adults, selected by random-digit dialing between November 1999 and May 2000, responded about participation in leisure-time physical activity.

Results. Of those who initially reported no leisure-time physical activity (25%), 85% were engaging in at least some activity, and 20% were engaging in enough moderate- or vigorous-intensity activity to meet health-related recommendations.

Conclusions. Public health programs that use only 1 screening question to identify sedentary behavior may not be able to target physical activity messages effectively, especially if physical activity is defined to include a broad range of activities beyond sports.

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