Regular physical activity can help prevent disease, disability, injury, and premature death. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans1 lays out how much physical activity children, adolescents, and adults need to get health benefits. American children are experiencing unprecedented levels of inactivity which significantly contributes to the rise in chronic diseases. Individuals with a chronic disease or a disability benefit from regular physical activity, as do women who are pregnant. Physical activity affects many health conditions, and the specific amounts and types of activity that benefit each condition vary.
This page provides data points and curated searches from OMH’s Knowledge Center library catalog related to physical activity in minority and tribal populations in the United States and its territories. The number of catalog records for each topic reflect the search results at the time of this page’s latest update.
American Indian/Alaska Native
According to CDC data, American Indian or Alaska Native adults over 18 were only 79% as likely to meet both aerobic activity and muscle strengthening guidelines as the total age-adjusted rate across all adults in 2018.2 High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data3 from 2021 show that American Indian or Alaska Native high school students were 16% more likely than all high school students to respond that they were physically active for at least 60 minutes per day on 5 or more days during the previous week. American Indian or Alaska Native high school students were also 87% more likely to report having had a concussion from playing a sport or being physically active than all high school students.
Asian American
According to CDC data, Asian American adults over 18 were 95% as likely to meet both aerobic activity and muscle strengthening guidelines as the total age-adjusted rate across all adults in 2018.4 High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data5 from 2021 show that Asian American high school students were 9% less likely than all high school students to report that they were physically active for at least 60 minutes per day on 5 or more days during the previous week.
Black/African American
According to CDC data, Black or African American adults over 18 were only 83% as likely to meet both aerobic activity and muscle strengthening guidelines, and 19% more likely to meet neither guideline, as the total age-adjusted rate across all adults in 2018.6 High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data7 from 2021 show that Black or African American high school students were only 77% as likely as all high school students to report that they were physically active for at least 60 minutes per day on 5 or more days during the previous week.
Hispanic/Latino
According to CDC data, Hispanic adults over 18 were only 89% as likely to meet both aerobic activity and muscle strengthening guidelines, and 17% more likely to meet neither guideline, as the total age-adjusted rate across all adults in 2018.8 High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data9 from 2021 show that Hispanic high school students were only 86% as likely as all high school students to report that they were physically active for at least 60 minutes per day on 5 or more days during the previous week.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
According to CDC data, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults over 18 were 95% as likely to meet both aerobic activity and muscle strengthening guidelines as the total age-adjusted rate across all adults in 2018, but 16% more likely to meet neither guideline.10 High School Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) data11 from 2021 show that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander high school students were 94% as likely as all high school students to report that they were physically active for at least 60 minutes per day on 5 or more days during the previous week.
1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2018). 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2nd ed.). Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf (Back to footnote)
2 National Center for Health Statistics. (2021). Table 25. Life expectancy at birth, at age 65, and at age 75, by sex, race, and Hispanic origin: United States, selected years 1900–2019. In Health, United States, 2019: With special feature on long-term trends in mortality. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2019/025-508.pdf (Back to footnote)
3 CDC. High School YRBS. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://nccd.cdc.gov/Youthonline/App/Default.aspx (Back to footnote)
4 National Center for Health Statistics. (2021). Table 25. Life expectancy at birth, at age 65, and at age 75, by sex, race, and Hispanic origin: United States, selected years 1900–2019. In Health, United States, 2019: With special feature on long-term trends in mortality. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2019/025-508.pdf (Back to footnote)
5 CDC. High School YRBS. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://nccd.cdc.gov/Youthonline/App/Default.aspx (Back to footnote)
6 National Center for Health Statistics. (2021). Table 25. Life expectancy at birth, at age 65, and at age 75, by sex, race, and Hispanic origin: United States, selected years 1900–2019. In Health, United States, 2019: With special feature on long-term trends in mortality. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2019/025-508.pdf (Back to footnote)
7 CDC. High School YRBS. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://nccd.cdc.gov/Youthonline/App/Default.aspx (Back to footnote)
8 National Center for Health Statistics. (2021). Table 25. Life expectancy at birth, at age 65, and at age 75, by sex, race, and Hispanic origin: United States, selected years 1900–2019. In Health, United States, 2019: With special feature on long-term trends in mortality. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2019/025-508.pdf (Back to footnote)
9 CDC. High School YRBS. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://nccd.cdc.gov/Youthonline/App/Default.aspx (Back to footnote)
10 National Center for Health Statistics. (2021). Table 25. Life expectancy at birth, at age 65, and at age 75, by sex, race, and Hispanic origin: United States, selected years 1900–2019. In Health, United States, 2019: With special feature on long-term trends in mortality. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2019/025-508.pdf (Back to footnote)
11 CDC. High School YRBS. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health. Retrieved September 23, 2025, from https://nccd.cdc.gov/Youthonline/App/Default.aspx (Back to footnote)
Date Last Reviewed: October 2025