A New Decade of Healthy People: Considerations for Comparing Youth Physical Activity Across 2 Surveillance Systems

Background: Healthy People 2030 includes objectives to increase meeting the aerobic physical activity guideline for ages 6–13 years (of ages 6–17 y, monitored by National Survey of Children’s Health [NSCH]) and grades 9 to 12 (mostly aged 14–18+ y, monitored by Youth Risk Behavior Survey [YRBS]). This study compares methodologies, prevalence, and patterns of meeting the guideline, particularly for overlapping ages 14–17 years. Methods: Nationally representative surveys, 2016–2017 NSCH (adult proxy report, 6–17 y) and 2015 and 2017 YRBS (self-report, grades 9–12), assess meeting the guideline of ≥60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity. Prevalence and odds ratios were estimated by age group and demographics. Results: For youth aged 14–17 years, 17.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.1–18.7; NSCH) and 27.0% (95% CI, 25.6–28.5; YRBS) met the guideline. 25.9% (95% CI, 24.8–27.2) aged 6–13 years (NSCH) and 26.6% (95% CI, 25.3–28.0) in grades 9 to 12 (YRBS) met the guideline. Across surveys, fewer females (P P Conclusions: Neither methodology nor estimates for meeting the aerobic guideline are similar across surveys, so age continuity between juxtaposed estimates should not be assumed by magnitude nor age for separate Healthy People 2030 youth physical activity objectives.