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Published on: March 7, 2019
Definition, measurement, and health risks associated with sedentary behavior
Bethany Barone Gibbs1, Andrea L Hergenroeder, Peter T Katzmarzyk
11Department of Health and Physical Activity, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; 2Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; 3Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA; and 4Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Sedentary behavior (SB) research needs clearer definitions and better measurement tools. Future studies should focus on objectively measuring SB over time to understand its impact on health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Gerontology
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Growing evidence links sedentary behavior (SB) to cardiometabolic and aging issues.
- SB's impact is considered independent of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA).
- Significant research gaps remain in understanding SB's health implications.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify research priorities for sedentary behavior (SB).
- Address gaps in SB definition, measurement, and longitudinal evidence.
- Synthesize findings from the "Research Evidence on Sedentary Behavior" workshop.
Main Methods:
- Review of current evidence on sedentary behavior (SB).
- Discussion and consensus-building on SB research priorities.
- Identification of key areas for future investigation in SB research.
Main Results:
- No consensus definition for SB exists; key debate is on including posture.
- Current SB assessment methods (self-report, objective) have limitations.
- Limited prospective evidence due to reliance on self-reported SB data.
Conclusions:
- Prioritize establishing a consensus definition for SB, including posture.
- Standardize and validate SB assessment methodologies, especially objective measures.
- Conduct longitudinal studies with objectively measured SB across diverse populations.
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