Joint associations of multiple leisure-time sedentary behaviours and physical activity with obesity in Australian adults

Background  

Television viewing and physical inactivity are independently associated with risk of obesity. However, how the combination of multiple leisure-time sedentary behaviours (LTSB) and physical activity (LTPA) may contribute to the risk of obesity is not well understood. We examined the joint associations of multiple sedentary behaviours and physical activity with the odds of being overweight or obese.     

Family circumstance, sedentary behaviour and physical activity in adolescents living in England: Project STIL

Background  

Identification of non-modifiable correlates of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in youth contributes to the development of effective targeted intervention strategies. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships between family circumstances (e.g. socio-economic status, single vs. dual parent household, presence/absence of siblings) and leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behaviours in adolescents.     

The Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial (INFANT) an early intervention to prevent childhood obesity: Cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background  

Multiple factors combine to support a compelling case for interventions that target the development of obesity-promoting behaviours (poor diet, low physical activity and high sedentary behaviour) from their inception. These factors include the rapidly increasing prevalence of fatness throughout childhood, the instigation of obesity-promoting behaviours in infancy, and the tracking of these behaviours from childhood through to adolescence and adulthood. The Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial (INFANT) aims to determine the effectiveness of an early childhood obesity prevention intervention delivered to first-time parents. The intervention, conducted with parents over the infant's first 18 months of life, will use existing social networks (first-time parent's groups) and an anticipatory guidance framework focusing on parenting skills which support the development of positive diet and physical activity behaviours, and reduced sedentary behaviours in infancy.     

Interrelationships of adolescent physical activity, screen-based sedentary behaviour, and social and psychological health

Objectives:  

To examine how adolescent physical activity (PA) and screen-based media sedentary behaviours (SBM) relate to psychological and social health and identify cross-national differences in these relationships.     

A healthy school start - Parental support to promote healthy dietary habits and physical activity in children: Design and evaluation of a cluster-randomised intervention

Background  

Childhood obesity is multi-factorial and determined to a large extent by dietary habits, physical activity and sedentary behaviours. Previous research has shown that school-based programmes are effective but that their effectiveness can be improved by including a parental component. At present, there is a lack of effective parental support programmes for improvement of diet and physical activity and prevention of obesity in children.     

Variables associated with children's physical activity levels during recess: the A-CLASS project

Background  

School recess provides a daily opportunity for children to engage in physically active behaviours. However, few studies have investigated what factors may influence children's physical activity levels in this context. Such information may be important in the development and implementation of recess interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between a range of recess variables and children's sedentary, moderate and vigorous physical activity in this context.     

Design and evaluation protocol of "FATaintPHAT", a computer-tailored intervention to prevent excessive weight gain in adolescents

Background  

Computer tailoring may be a promising technique for prevention of overweight in adolescents. However, very few well-developed, evidence-based computer-tailored interventions are available for this target group. We developed and evaluated a computer-tailored intervention for adolescents targeting energy balance-related behaviours: i.e. consumption of snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit, vegetables, and fibre, physical activity, and sedentary behaviours. This paper describes the planned development of a school-based computer-tailored intervention aimed at improving energy balance-related behaviours in order to prevent excessive weight gain in adolescents, and the protocol for evaluating this intervention.     

Correlates of sedentary behaviours in preschool children: a review

Background  

Sedentary behaviour has been linked with a number of health outcomes. Preschool-aged children spend significant proportions of their day engaged in sedentary behaviours. Research into the correlates of sedentary behaviours in the preschool population is an emerging field, with most research being published since 2002. Reviews on correlates of sedentary behaviours which include preschool children have previously been published; however, none have reported results specific to the preschool population. This paper reviews articles reporting on correlates of sedentary behaviour in preschool children published between 1993 and 2009.     

Associations between sport and screen-entertainment with mental health problems in 5-year-old children

Background  

Few studies have examined the benefits of regular physical activity, and risks of sedentary behaviour, in young children. This study investigated associations between participation in sports and screen-entertainment (as components of physical activity and sedentary behaviour), and emotional and behavioural problems in this population.     

Development of new physical activity and sedentary behavior change self-efficacy questionnaires using item response modeling

Background  

Theoretically, increased levels of physical activity self-efficacy (PASE) should lead to increased physical activity, but few studies have reported this effect among youth. This failure may be at least partially attributable to measurement limitations. In this study, Item Response Modeling (IRM) was used to develop new physical activity and sedentary behavior change self-efficacy scales. The validity of the new scales was compared with accelerometer assessments of physical activity and sedentary behavior.     

Changes in leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behaviour at retirement: a prospective study in middle-aged French subjects

Background  

Longitudinal studies on physical activity patterns around retirement age are scarce and provide divergent findings. Little is known about changes in sedentary behaviour in this context. Our aim was to investigate relationships between retirement and 3-year changes in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) patterns and sedentary behaviour in middle-aged French adults.     

Using pedometers to increase physical activity in overweight and obese women: a pilot study

Background  

Most public health guidelines recommend that adults participate in 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week. Establishing new ways to achieve these targets in sedentary populations need to be explored. This research evaluated whether the daily use of pedometers could increase physical activity and improve health outcomes in sedentary overweight and obese women.     

Social support, physical activity and sedentary behavior among 6th-grade girls: a cross-sectional study

Background  

Despite the importance of social support in promoting physical activity, little is known about the relative influence of the type or source of social support on adolescent girls' physical activity and sedentary behaviors. This study examined the associations of two types of social support (social participation in and social encouragement for physical activity) and two social support sources (family and friends) with self-reported daily minutes of physical activity and sedentary behavior among sixth-grade girls in Texas.     

Physical activity patterns and sedentary behaviors of children from urban and rural areas of Cyprus

BACKGROUND: A sedentary lifestyle among children is becoming increasingly common and has been linked to future risk of degenerative diseases. Urban residence has been suggested to be a contributing factor to a less active lifestyle; however, not all available studies support this link. In the present study we examined the physical activity patterns and sedentary behaviours of children living in urban and rural areas of Cyprus, where major demographic shifts have occurred the last decades. METHODS: We studied 1140 children (531 boys; 609 girls), aged 10-12 years, registered in 24 selected elementary public schools from five urban and rural districts of Cyprus. Children completed a semi-quantitative physical activity questionnaire regarding frequency and duration of everyday physical and sedentary activities. Weight and height of the children, as well as demographic and socioeconomic information was collected from children and their guardians. RESULTS: Rural children reported being slightly more active after school and occupied weekly with outdoors chores compared to urban children, who on the other hand reported engaging in sports on a weekly basis more than their rural peers (all p < 0.10). However, the average weekly time spent by urban and rural children on vigorous (8.6 +/- 4.7 and 9.1 +/- 4.8 h/w, respectively; p = 0.193) or moderate-to-vigorous (14.9 +/- 7.6 and 15.2 +/- 7.6 h/w, respectively; p = 0.612) activities, as well as total screen time, were not different. The distribution of children with regards to most other physical activity and inactivity pursuits was similar between urban and rural areas. CONCLUSION: We found no substantial differences in the physical activity habits and sedentary behaviours among children living in urban and rural areas of Cyprus. Hence public health awareness directed to enhance physical activity and decrease sedentary lifestyle among youngsters should focus equally to urban and rural children.     

Physical activity and sedentary behaviour typologies of 10-11 year olds

Background  

Targeted interventions may be more effective at increasing children's physical activity. The aim of this study was to identify clusters of children based on physical activity and sedentary patterns across the week.     

Sitzendes Verhalten als Risikofaktor im Kindes- und Jugendalter

Background

Sedentary behaviour is already very common in daily life of children and adolescents. An increasing number of studies within the public health context have examined issues around this topic and findings indicate that sedentarism and physical activity are independent behaviours.

Objective and methods

The objective of the current paper is to systematically introduce in terms of a behavioural epidemiology framework into the topic of sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents. The six phases of the framework are described based on a narrative compilation of currently available international reviews and original studies.

Findings and conclusions

From both a conceptual and a public health lens it is recommendable to consider sedentary behaviour as a meaningful indicator of interventions. However, sedentary behaviour is independent of the level of physical activity associated with physical and psychological health. In addition studies showed that it is possible to reduce sitting time through specific interventions. A lot of issues around sedentary behaviour have not been fully understood and researches are especially faced with challenges in terms of measurement and study design. To foster the reduction of sitting time it is necessary to understand the determinants of this behaviour and to examine the interaction and the effectiveness of intervention to reduce sitting time in addition to the promotion of physical activity.     

Association between neighborhood socioeconomic status and screen time among pre-school children: a cross-sectional study

Background  

Sedentary behavior is considered a separate construct from physical activity and engaging in sedentary behaviors results in health effects independent of physical activity levels. A major source of sedentary behavior in children is time spent viewing TV or movies, playing video games, and using computers. To date no study has examined the impact of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) on pre-school children's screen time behavior.     

The effectiveness of interventions to change six health behaviours: a review of reviews

Background  

Several World Health Organisation reports over recent years have highlighted the high incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and cancer. Contributory factors include unhealthy diets, alcohol and tobacco use and sedentary lifestyles. This paper reports the findings of a review of reviews of behavioural change interventions to reduce unhealthy behaviours or promote healthy behaviours. We included six different health-related behaviours in the review: healthy eating, physical exercise, smoking, alcohol misuse, sexual risk taking (in young people) and illicit drug use. We excluded reviews which focussed on pharmacological treatments or those which required intensive treatments (e.g. for drug or alcohol dependency).     

Using an individualised consultation and activPAL™ feedback to reduce sedentary time in older Scottish adults: Results of a feasibility and pilot study

Objective

Sedentary behaviours have been linked to poor health, independent of physical activity levels. The objective of this study was to explore an individualised intervention strategy aimed at reducing sedentary behaviours in older Scottish adults.

Methods

This feasibility and pilot study was a pre-experimental (one group pretest–posttest) study design. Participants were enrolled into the study in January–March 2012 and data analysis was completed April–October 2012. The study was based in Glasgow, Scotland. Participants received an individualised consultation targeting sedentary behaviour incorporating feedback from an activPAL activity monitor. Outcome measures were objectively (activPAL) and subjectively measured (Sedentary Behaviour Questionnaire) sedentary time.

Results

Twenty four participants received the intervention. Objectively measured total time spent sitting/lying was reduced by 24 min/day (p = 0.042), a reduction of 2.2%. Total time spent in stepping activities, such as walking increased by 13 min/day (p = 0.044). Self-report data suggested participants achieved behaviour change by reducing time spent watching television and/or using motorised transport.

Conclusion

Interventions to reduce sedentary behaviours in older people are urgently needed. The results of this feasibility and pilot study suggest a consultation approach may help individuals reduce time spent in sedentary behaviours. A larger, controlled trial is warranted with a diverse sample to increase generalisability.     

Leisure-time versus full-day energy expenditure: a cross-sectional study of sedentarism in a Portuguese urban population

Background  

Low physical activity is known to be a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease. With high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the Portuguese urban population, little is known about how sedentary this population is and what factors are associated to sedentary lifestyles. This study's objective was to examine sedentary lifestyles and their determinants through a cross-sectional study.