Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — A study conducted by researchers at Stanford University has revealed that Indonesia ranks as the least active country globally in terms of walking. The findings indicate that Indonesians walk an average of just 3,513 steps per day.
The study utilized minute-by-minute data from 700,000 individuals worldwide, collected via Argus, a smartphone activity-monitoring app.
The research crowned Hong Kong residents as the most active walkers, with an average of 6,880 steps, approximately 6 kilometers per day. China followed in second place, with 6,189 steps daily, while Ukraine (6,107), Japan (6,010), and Russia (5,969) rounded out the top five.
Indonesia, along with countries such as Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, ranked at the bottom of the walking activity list. Indonesia claimed the lowest spot, averaging 3,513 steps daily, followed by Saudi Arabia (3,807), Malaysia (3,963), and the Philippines (4,008).
Published in the journal Nature, the study also highlighted disparities in physical activity levels within countries, noting a correlation between these gaps and obesity rates. Countries with smaller activity gaps, such as Sweden, tend to have lower obesity rates.
“The smaller the disparity between the most and least active individuals, the lower the obesity levels in a population,” said Tim Althoff, one of the study’s researchers, as cited from Kumparan.
Death Clock: AI-Powered Smartphone App That Could Predict Users Life Expectancy
Researchers were also surprised to discover that gender played a significant role in these activity gaps. In countries where walking activity was low, women were generally less active than men. Conversely, in highly active nations like Japan, men and women walked roughly the same amount daily.
The study underscores the importance of addressing disparities in physical activity and promoting healthier lifestyles across all demographics. Encouraging more active habits, particularly in countries with lower activity levels, could play a vital role in improving public health worldwide.
(Raidi/Agung)
