Available online 29 January 2024

Broad topics in physical activity (PA) epidemiology have remained the same over 40 years; specific issues and questions have changed and challenges remain;

Accelerometry has made many advances in PA measurement but created new methodological challenges;

The benefit of regular PA for a wide array of health outcomes has been well established, but specificity is still needed about dose response relations;

Interventions in the population have led to increased prevalence of recommended levels of PA, but prevalence is still less than optimal and there are racial and ethnic disparities.

© 2024 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Shanghai University of Sport.