Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28693034›Full record

ArticleNature2017

Large-scale physical activity data reveal worldwide activity inequality.

Tim Althoff, Rok Sosič, Jennifer L Hicks, Abby C King, Scott L Delp, Jure Leskovec

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 432 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
432citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

432 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Socioeconomic inequalities in exposure to neighbourhood environments for physical activity: a systematic review.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2026
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  13. Using photovoice to explore young women's experiences of behaviour change techniques in physical activity mobile apps.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2023
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372 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Tim AlthoffComputer Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Rok SosičComputer Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Jennifer L HicksDepartment of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Abby C KingDepartment of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
Scott L DelpDepartment of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Jure LeskovecComputer Science Department, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.

Funding

Training CoreU54EB020405 · NIBIB · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI DELP, SCOTT L · 2014 to 2018
$11.6M
Tech-DevelopmentP2CHD065690 · NICHD · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI DELP, SCOTT L · 2015 to 2019
$5.4M
National Center for Simulation in Rehabilitation ResearchR24HD065690 · NICHD · STANFORD UNIVERSITY · PI DELP, SCOTT L · 2010 to 2014
$4.2M
NIBIB NIH HHS U54 EB020405NICHD NIH HHS P2C HD065690NICHD NIH HHS R24 HD065690
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

To be able to curb the global pandemic of physical inactivity and the associated 5.3 million deaths per year, we need to understand the basic principles that govern physical activity. However, there is a lack of large-scale measurements of physical activity patterns across free-living populations worldwide. Here we leverage the wide usage of smartphones with built-in accelerometry to measure physical activity at the global scale. We study a dataset consisting of 68 million days of physical activity for 717,527 people, giving us a window into activity in 111 countries across the globe. We find inequality in how activity is distributed within countries and that this inequality is a better predictor of obesity prevalence in the population than average activity volume. Reduced activity in females contributes to a large portion of the observed activity inequality. Aspects of the built environment, such as the walkability of a city, are associated with a smaller gender gap in activity and lower activity inequality. In more walkable cities, activity is greater throughout the day and throughout the week, across age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) groups, with the greatest increases in activity found for females. Our findings have implications for global public health policy and urban planning and highlight the role of activity inequality and the built environment in improving physical activity and health.

Indexed as

ExerciseInternationalityAccelerometryAdolescentAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAge FactorsBody Mass IndexChildCitiesCity PlanningDatasets as TopicEnvironment DesignFemaleHealth Policy

Identifiers

PMID28693034
PMCPMC5774986

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.