The 2018 United States report card on physical activity for children and youth

The 2018 United States (U.S.) Report Card is the third comprehensive assessment of physical activity in U.S. children and youth, updating the first Report Card released in 2014 and second released in 2016. The primary goal of the 2018 U.S. Report Card is to assess the levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in American children and youth, facilitators and barriers for physical activity, and health outcomes related to physical activity.

The tracking of physical activity indicators over time is an important surveillance tactic that allows for an assessment of population-level changes in behavior. The Report Card is a resource that summarizes health statistics related to physical activity levels among children and youth in the U.S. More importantly, the Report Card is an advocacy tool that provides a level of accountability and call-to-action for decision makers regarding how we, as parents, teachers, health professionals, community leaders, and policy makers, can implement new initiatives, programs, and policies in support of healthy environments to improve the physical activity levels and health of our children and youth.