Research library

Source: PHE 

April 2020

The national Diet, Obesity and Physical activity division at PHE have looked at the data and compared the data to the physical activity estimates that PHE publish. The following bullets describe how the data from PHE and Sports England are different in different data sets and outline the areas that should be compared with caution.

• PHE produce physical activity indicators (% of adults aged 19 and over classified as ‘active’ and ‘inactive’) in the PHOF for each local authority in England based on data from the Active Lives Adult Survey (ALAS). The PHOF indicators are used to monitor the percentage of the population who meet the aerobic activity aspect of the Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs) guidelines to achieve at least 150 mins of moderate activity per week for adults aged 19 and over. These were last updated in April 2019, with new data due for release on 5^th May 2020.

• The ALAS report uses Sport England’s definition of physical activity which excludes gardening activity. This differs from the CMOs definition which is used by PHE. There are also differences in the age groups presented with Sport England reporting on 16+ and PHE reporting on 19+, in line with CMOs’ guidelines.

• National level physical activity data is also generated from the Health Survey for England (HSE) and this is the primary source of national intelligence on physical activity. Data are collected every four years using a different methodology to the ALAS and so inevitably produce a slightly different figure for England. The table below shows the latest national activity estimates from Sport England, PHE (as reported in PHOF) and the HSE.

• The ALAS considers the aerobic physical activity aspect of the CMOs’ guidelines and does not cover the muscle strengthening, balance and reducing extended sedentary (sitting) time elements which are also important for public health. These are included in the HSE.

• The table below provides figures for physical activity which are in the public domain.

Note: methodologies vary so comparisons between the Active Lives Adult Survey and the Health Survey for England should be made with caution.