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Cited by 2,985Physical Activity and HealthUrban Transport and AccessibilityPublic Health Policies and Education

The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health

Open access
Kohl, Harold W, Craig, Cora Lynn, Lambert, Estelle Victoria, Inoue, Shigeru, Alkandari, Jasem Ramadan, Leetongin, Grit, Kahlmeier, Sonja·2012·The Lancet
DOI 10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60898-8
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Abstract

Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. We summarise present global efforts to counteract this problem and point the way forward to address the pandemic of physical inactivity. Although evidence for the benefits of physical activity for health has been available since the 1950s, promotion to improve the health of populations has lagged in relation to the available evidence and has only recently developed an identifiable infrastructure, including efforts in planning, policy, leadership and advocacy, workforce training and development, and monitoring and surveillance. The reasons for this late start are myriad, multifactorial, and complex. This infrastructure should continue to be formed, intersectoral approaches are essential to advance, and advocacy remains a key pillar. Although there is a need to build global capacity based on the present foundations, a systems approach that focuses on populations and the complex interactions among the correlates of physical inactivity, rather than solely a behavioural science approach focusing on individuals, is the way forward to increase physical activity worldwide.

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  • Physical inactivity is a global health problem and is vital to the primary prevention of over 35 chronic diseases.

    “Physical inactivity is a global health problem that is vital to the primary prevention of over 35 chronic diseases [1, 2].”

    From Pre-exercise screening: role of the primary care physician (2016) · cites this paper as [2]

    The section “The pandemic of physical inactivity should be a public health priority” describes inactivity as a global problem and links it to preventable deaths from noncommunicable diseases. Our copy does not substantiate the specific claim that physical activity is vital to the primary prevention of over 35 chronic diseases; a search for that number and phrasing found no supporting passage. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • Physical inactivity is a global pandemic identified as one of the four leading contributors to premature mortality.

    “Despite these well-known health benefits, physical inactivity is a global pandemic that has been identified as one of the four leading contributors to premature mortality (22,26).”

    From Updating ACSM's Recommendations for Exercise Preparticipation Health Screening (2015) · cites this paper as [26]

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Martin BW, Beeler I, Szucs TD, et al. Economic benefi ts of the health-enhancing eff ects of physical activity: fi rst estimates for Switzerland. Schweiz Z Sportmed Sporttraumatol 2001; 49: 131-33.
  2. WHO. WHA46.7 WHO International Conference on Nutrition: follow-up action. May 10, 1993. http://www.who.int/nutrition/ topics/WHA46.7_nut_en.pdf (accessed April 24, 2012).
  3. Kohl HW, Hootman JM. Refl ections before moving forward. J Phys Activ Health 2012; 9: 1-2.
  4. WHO. Assessing national capacity for prevention and control of non-communicable diseases: the report of the 2010 global survey (in press).

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Authors
Kohl, H. W., Craig, C. L., Lambert, E. V., Inoue, S., Alkandari, J. R., Leetongin, G., & Kahlmeier, S.
Affiliations
  • The University of Texas at Austin (US)
  • The University of Sydney (AU)
  • University of Cape Town (ZA)
  • Tokyo Medical University (JP)
  • Kuwait University (KW)
  • University of Zurich (CH)
ORCID
Venue
The Lancet
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2012-07
Volume
380
Issue
9838
Pages
294-305
ISSN
  • 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
  • 0140-6736
DOI
10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60898-8
OpenAlex
W2037427175
Cited by
2,985
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 116 · 2025: 164 · 2024: 258 · 2023: 257 · 2022: 292 · 2021: 327 · 2020: 298 · 2019: 208 · 2018: 223 · 2017: 224 · 2016: 190 · 2015: 175 · 2014: 132 · 2013: 105 · 2012: 10
FWCI
14.52
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations
  • The Lancet (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • University of Southern Denmark Research Portal (University of Southern Denmark) (publishedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
  • UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Bank (Australian Catholic University) (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich)
Funders
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (24500832)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
  • Social Sciences › Transportation › Urban Transport and Accessibility
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Public Health Policies and Education
Keywords
physical inactivity, physical activity promotion, public health policy, multisectoral approach, advocacy, employee training, surveillance and monitoring, systems approach, global health capacity building
MeSH terms
Health Education, Health Promotion, Humans, Motor Activity, Public Health, Social Change, Global Health, Health Behavior, Exercise, Sedentary Behavior

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