Physical activity guidelines

Physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep self-reported data collected in the IHMHS were assessed against an interpretation of the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s (DHDA) physical activity and exercise guidelines released between 2014 and 2019. 

The number of days respondents were asked about physical activity and sedentary behaviours differed by age and remoteness in the NATSIHS 2022-23 and NATSINPAS 2023. This impacts how the relevant guidelines are applied. See the physical activity collections section for an overview of reference periods used in the IHMHS health surveys.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander respondents in remote areas were asked about their physical activity and sedentary behaviour on the day prior to the interview and were not assessed against the guidelines.

The DHDA released the 24-hour Movement Guidelines for infants and young children in 2017[1]. The guidelines summarise physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep recommendations for all healthy infants (less than 1 year), toddlers (1–2 years), and pre-schoolers (3–4 years and 5 year old children not attending school).

For the purposes of health surveys, the ABS uses the term ‘pre-school aged children’ to refer to children between 2–4 years and 5 year olds who do not attend school. Children aged 2 years are assessed against the toddler’s recommendations. Physical activity data for children aged 1 year or less is not collected in ABS health surveys.

For pre-school aged children, the following was used to assess whether a respondent met the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines:

• at least 180 minutes of indoor and outdoor physical activity on each day within the reference period
• no more than 1 hour of sedentary screen time on each day within the reference period
• no more than 1 hour of being secured in a car seat, stroller/pram or highchair in one sitting on the day prior to the interview
• total duration of sleep (including naps) at least 11 hours for 2 year old children and at least 10 hours for children 3–5 years (where the child is not attending school) on the day and night prior to the interview.

Sleep/nap duration and secured sitting is collected only on the day and night prior to the interview. This data is used to assess whether a child met the guidelines on all days within the reference period.

In 2019, the DHDA released the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines[2] for children and young people aged 6–17 years and 5 year old children attending school.

In NNPAS 2023 and NATSINPAS 2023 (non-remote), the following was used to assess whether a respondent met the guidelines: 

• at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity, include active transport, on each day within the reference period
• muscle and bone strengthening activities as part of the moderate or vigorous activity on at least 3 days over the reference period
• no more than 2 hours sedentary screen time, excluding any study-related activities, on each day in the reference period
• at least 3 days during the reference period where muscle and bone strengthening activities were reported
• at least 9 hours of sleep on the previous night for children aged 5–13 years or at least 8 hours for young people aged 14–17 years (excluding naps).

Self-reported sleep was collected for the night prior to the interview. This data is used to assess whether a child or young person met the sleep guidelines.

The NHS 2022 and NATSIHS 2022-23 (non-remote) do not define 15–17 year olds as school aged. The following from the 2014 Physical Activity and Sedentary Guidelines[3] is used to assess whether respondents met the guidelines in the NHS 2022 and NATSIHS 2022-23:

• one or more of the following for at least 60 minutes every day: walking for exercise, recreation or sport for 10 minutes or more, walking to get to places for 10 minutes or more, moderate physical activity, or vigorous physical activity, and
• at least one minute of vigorous physical activity as part of their total activity in the last week, and
• strength or toning activities during moderate or vigorous physical activity (excluding activity in the workplace) on at least 3 days. 

In NATSIHS 2022-23 (non-remote) however, young people 15–17 years old were asked about the week prior to the interview. Therefore, the number of days which they took part in strength or toning activities were not limited to only the three days prior to the interview.

For more information about strength or toning activities compared to muscle and bone strengthening activities, see the Guidelines for adults section.

Adults were assessed against the Department for Health, Disability and Ageing’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines[3] released in 2014. Different guidelines are applied to adults 18–64 years and adults 65 years and over.

People aged 18–64 years were considered to have met the guidelines if, in the last week, they:

• did one or more of the following on at least 5 days: walking for exercise, recreation or sport for 10 minutes or more, walking to get to places for 10 minutes or more, moderate physical activity, or vigorous physical activity, and
• accumulated at least 150 minutes of any combination of the above (for this age group, every minute spent on vigorous physical activity is counted as 2 minutes for the purpose of determining whether the person met this component), and
• did strength or toning activities during moderate or vigorous physical activity (excluding activity in the workplace) on at least 2 days.

People aged 65 years and over were considered to have met the guidelines if, in the last week, they did:

• one or more of the following every day: walking for exercise, recreation or sport for 10 minutes or more, walking to get to places for 10 minutes or more, moderate physical activity, or vigorous physical activity, and
• any combination of the above for at least 30 minutes on at least 5 days.

The NHS 2022 and NATSIHS 2022-23 (non-remote) do not define 15–17 year olds as school aged. The following from the 2014 Physical Activity and Sedentary Guidelines[3] is used to assess whether respondents met the guidelines in NHS 2022 and NATSIHS 2022-23:

• one or more of the following for at least 60 minutes every day: walking for exercise, recreation or sport for 10 minutes or more, walking to get to places for 10 minutes or more, moderate physical activity, or vigorous physical activity, and
• at least one minute of vigorous physical activity as part of their total activity in the last week, and
• strength or toning activities during moderate or vigorous physical activity (excluding activity in the workplace) on at least 3 days.

The ABS advises caution when comparing estimates of physical activity measured by accelerometers to physical activity guideline thresholds (e.g. 150 minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity). 

The DHDA’s physical activity guidelines were developed with research using self-reported data. For this reason, users should consider conceptual differences between self-reported and directly measured estimates when comparing to the guidelines.

Research from Statistics Canada found that 40% of individuals were misclassified as either meeting or not meeting physical activity guidelines when comparing results from self-reported and directly measured physical activity data[4]. This result is supported by weak correlations between self-reported and direct measured data at the individual person level. However, population level estimates of activity data aligned within reasonable tolerances between the two collection methods. Analysis of NNPAS and NATSINPAS data have only found limited agreement between self-reported and directly measured measures when classifying whether physical activity guidelines are met. It is not recommended to use accelerometer data to measure against physical activity guidelines.

1. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA) 2017. 24-Hour Movement Guidelines – birth to 5 years. https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/24-hour-movement-guidelines-birth-to-5-years-brochure
2. Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA) 2019. 24-Hour Movement Guidelines – children and young people (5 to 17 years). https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/24-hour-movement-guidelines-children-and-young-people-5-to-17-years-fact-sheet
3. Physical Activity Guidelines | 10,000 Steps. Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.https://www.10000steps.org.au/articles-old/physical-activity-guidelines/
4. Garriguet, D., & Colley, R. C. (2014). A comparison of self-reported leisure-time physical activity and measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in adolescents and adults. Health reports, 25(7), 3–11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25029491/