The Lifestyle Dynamics Index® (LDI) demonstrates a less dynamic lifestyle since 1960
The lifestyle in the world since the 1960s is less and less dynamic, according to the trend shown by the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain and, especially, the United States since 2008.
The term "lifestyle dynamics" has been used in connection with family and environmental studies and refers to "how lifestyle evolves over time," where "lifestyle" is how we loosely refer to "the way people live”. Lifestyle and its dynamics have also shown potential socioeconomic and household implications, highlighting the importance of lifestyle effects on public health or household energy consumption.
In a recent scientific publication, the Lifestyle Dynamics Index® is constructed, a novel index abbreviated as LDI that is based on the data structure of time use surveys, and applied to the datasets of the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS) and the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). The index ranks on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 is a lifestyle in which only one activity is done throughout the day, and 100 where all the activities categorized are performed, with activities change in the most dynamic way throughout the day -that is, the most chaotic day possible.
The worldwide results of this scientific research confirm a clear worldwide pattern towards a less dynamic lifestyle since the 1960s, according to the responses offered by millions of people in the countries for which data are available since 1960.
The research analyzes the case of the United States of America (USA), because it is the only country in the world that officially collects statistical data annually through the ATUS. In the 21st century, the United States also shows a general decline in the index in the 2003-2012 decade, with an annual decline since 2008. The LDI® has been obtained at the state level for the United States in the period 2013-2016, which allows see the differences within the country for the latest available data.
As more time-use survey data are released from around the world, the potential use of the Lifestyle Dynamics Index for socioeconomic policy and well-being purposes could be better exploited, with the United States being the country with the best availability and data quality. Spain only has two official and national time use surveys, and has not collected time use data since 2008-2009.
The researchers who are the authors of this work will be delighted to collaborate with any researcher from any country in the world to expand the LDI database.