The physical activity section (prefix PAQ) includes questions related to daily activities, leisure time activities, and sedentary activities at home.
All survey participants 2 or more years of age were eligible. Proxy respondents answered the questions for 2-11 year olds. The questions asked varied by age group. The target group in the codebook indicates which age groups were asked which questions.
For respondents 2 to 11 and 16 or more years of age, the questions were asked before the physical examination, in the home, using the Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing-CAPI (interviewer administered) system.
For respondents 12 to 15 years of age, the questions were asked during the physical examination, at the mobile examination center (MEC).
The data was split into two files. The first is described here and includes general information about daily activities, leisure time activities, and sedentary activities. The second (PAQIAF_D) includes more detailed information about specific leisure time activities for respondents 12 or more years of age. Sequence number is provided on both files for linking.
Respondents who answered yes to vigorous activities (PAQ200), but did not give at least one vigorous activity, or reported duration of less than 10 minutes, were recoded to no. The same was done for moderate activities (PAQ340).
The number of times in the past 30 days that the respondent did moderately active tasks around the house or yard (PAD120) and muscle strengthening activities (PAD460) were originally reported as number of times per day, per week or per month and converted to number of times over the past 30 days. The average duration of the tasks around the house or yard (PAD160) was originally reported in hours or minutes and converted to minutes. There were a few instances in which the duration per day of tasks around the home or yard was 12 hours or more for the 30 day period. In these instances, PAD120 and PAD160 were set to missing. Users should carefully inspect the data for other values they may consider too high.
Since the PAQ questions for respondents 2 to 11 and 16 or more years of age were asked in the home interview, the interview sample weights may be used in their analysis. However, if the data is joined with data from the MEC, the MEC sample weights should be used. Analysis of the PAQ questions for 12 to 15 year olds should use the MEC sample weights as the questions were asked in the MEC.
Suggested metabolic equivalent (MET) scores for the activities listed in this file are included in Appendix 1. They were obtained from the reference below and personal communication with the author.
Please refer to the Analytic Guidelines for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues. The Analytic Guidelines are available on the NHANES website.
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 2370 | 2370 | |
2 | No | 4644 | 7014 | PAQ100 |
3 | Unable to do activity | 135 | 7149 | PAQ100 |
7 | Refused | 2 | 7151 | PAQ100 |
9 | Don't know | 0 | 7151 | PAQ100 |
. | Missing | 2273 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 100 | Range of Values | 2370 | 2370 | |
77777 | Refused | 0 | 2370 | |
99999 | Don't know | 0 | 2370 | |
. | Missing | 7054 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Day | 661 | 661 | |
2 | Week | 1071 | 1732 | |
3 | Month | 638 | 2370 | |
7 | Refused | 0 | 2370 | |
9 | Don't Know | 0 | 2370 | |
. | Missing | 7054 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 600 | Range of Values | 2363 | 2363 | |
77777 | Refused | 0 | 2363 | |
99999 | Don't know | 0 | 2363 | |
. | Missing | 7061 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 3637 | 3637 | |
2 | No | 2362 | 5999 | PAQ180 |
3 | Unable to do activity | 138 | 6137 | PAQ180 |
7 | Refused | 1 | 6138 | PAQ180 |
9 | Don't know | 1 | 6139 | PAQ180 |
. | Missing | 3285 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 120 | Range of Values | 3633 | 3633 | |
77777 | Refused | 0 | 3633 | |
99999 | Don't know | 2 | 3635 | |
. | Missing | 5789 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 to 600 | Range of Values | 3624 | 3624 | |
77777 | Refused | 0 | 3624 | |
99999 | Don't know | 0 | 3624 | |
. | Missing | 5800 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | {you sit/he/she sits} during the day and {do/does} not walk about very much. | 1399 | 1399 | |
2 | {you stand or walk/he/she stands or walks} about a lot during the day, but {do/does}not have to carry or lift things very often | 3120 | 4519 | |
3 | {you/he/she} lift(s) light load or {have/has} to climb stairs or hills often. | 1150 | 5669 | |
4 | {you/he/she} {do/does} heavy work or {carry/carries} heavy loads. | 464 | 6133 | |
7 | Refused | 2 | 6135 | |
9 | Don't know | 4 | 6139 | |
. | Missing | 3285 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 3092 | 3092 | |
2 | No | 3816 | 6908 | |
3 | Unable to do activity | 241 | 7149 | |
7 | Refused | 1 | 7150 | |
9 | Don't know | 1 | 7151 | |
. | Missing | 2273 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 4091 | 4091 | |
2 | No | 2891 | 6982 | |
3 | Unable to do activity | 166 | 7148 | |
7 | Refused | 1 | 7149 | |
9 | Don't know | 2 | 7151 | |
. | Missing | 2273 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Yes | 2574 | 2574 | |
2 | No | 4384 | 6958 | PAQ500 |
3 | Unable to do activity | 190 | 7148 | PAQ500 |
7 | Refused | 1 | 7149 | PAQ500 |
9 | Don't know | 2 | 7151 | PAQ500 |
. | Missing | 2273 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 210 | Range of Values | 2573 | 2573 | |
777 | Refused | 0 | 2573 | |
999 | Don't know | 1 | 2574 | |
. | Missing | 6850 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | more active | 1529 | 1529 | |
2 | less active, or | 1609 | 3138 | |
3 | About the same? | 4009 | 7147 | |
7 | Refused | 1 | 7148 | |
9 | Don't know | 3 | 7151 | |
. | Missing | 2273 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | more active | 2463 | 2463 | |
2 | less active, or | 1448 | 3911 | |
3 | About the same? | 3164 | 7075 | |
7 | Refused | 1 | 7076 | |
9 | Don't Know | 75 | 7151 | |
. | Missing | 2273 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | More active now, | 503 | 503 | |
2 | Less active now, or | 2467 | 2970 | |
3 | About the same? | 939 | 3909 | |
7 | Refused | 1 | 3910 | |
9 | Don't know | 2 | 3912 | |
. | Missing | 5512 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 to 77 | Range of Values | 2192 | 2192 | |
77777 | Refused | 0 | 2192 | |
99999 | Don't know | 4 | 2196 | |
. | Missing | 7228 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 | Less than 1 hour, | 1252 | 1252 | |
1 | 1 hour, | 1747 | 2999 | |
2 | 2 hours, | 2556 | 5555 | |
3 | 3 hours, | 1541 | 7096 | |
4 | 4 hours, or | 902 | 7998 | |
5 | 5 hours or more? | 1197 | 9195 | |
6 | None | 145 | 9340 | |
77 | Refused | 1 | 9341 | |
99 | Don't know | 6 | 9347 | |
. | Missing | 77 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
0 | Less than 1 hour | 2699 | 2699 | |
1 | 1 hour | 1437 | 4136 | |
2 | 2 hours | 791 | 4927 | |
3 | 3 hours | 304 | 5231 | |
4 | 4 hours | 175 | 5406 | |
5 | 5 hours | 236 | 5642 | |
6 | None | 3698 | 9340 | |
77 | Refused | 1 | 9341 | |
99 | Don't know | 6 | 9347 | |
. | Missing | 77 | 9424 |
Code or Value | Value Description | Count | Cumulative | Skip to Item |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sample Person Interview Questionnaire Targets (B(2-11) and (B(16-150) | 8335 | 8335 | |
2 | MEC CAPI Questionnaire Targets (B(12-15) | 1089 | 9424 | |
. | Missing | 0 | 9424 |
Variable | Label | Score |
---|---|---|
PAD020 | Walked or bicycled over past 30 days to get to/from work, etc. | 4.0 |
PAQ100 | Tasks in or around home or yard past 30 days. | 4.5 |
PAQ180 | Average level of physical activity each day (1 - Mainly sit) | 1.4 |
PAQ180 | Average level of physical activity each day (2 - Walk a lot) | 1.5 |
PAQ180 | Average level of physical activity each day (3 - Carry light loads) | 1.6 |
PAQ180 | Average level of physical activity each day (4 - Carry heavy loads) | 1.8 |
PAD440 | Muscle strengthening activities | 4.0 |
PAQ560 | Number of times per week play or exercise hard | 7.0 |
PAD590 | Average number of hours watch TV or videos over past 30 days | 1.0 |
PAD600 | Average number of hours used computer over past 30 days | 1.5 |