Patterns of accelerometer-derived sedentary time across the lifespan

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Gerontology
• Kinesiology

Background:

• Sedentary time (ST) is a significant public health concern.
• Understanding national ST patterns across the lifespan is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe sedentary time (ST) and its patterns on a national level in Portugal.
• To analyze ST by sex, age group (adolescents, adults, older adults), and bout duration.

Main Methods:

• Utilized hip-worn accelerometers (ActiGraph GT1M) for data collection from 4575 Portuguese participants (aged 10-102 years).
• Data analyzed using Lambda-mu-sigma (LMS) smoothed percentile curves, presented by sex and 5-year age intervals.
• Categorized participants into adolescents (n=2833), adults (n=1122), and older adults (n=620).

Main Results:

• Sedentary time (ST) constituted a substantial portion of wear time across all age groups and sexes.
• Older adults accumulated a larger proportion of ST in longer bouts (≥30 minutes) compared to younger groups.
• Sedentary time (ST) patterns did not consistently increase with older age; critical periods identified during adolescence and the transition to older adulthood.

Conclusions:

• Sedentary time (ST) prevalence and patterns are not uniformly higher in older adults.
• Adolescence and the transition from adulthood to older adulthood represent critical periods for ST interventions.
• National-level data provides valuable insights for public health strategies aimed at reducing sedentary behavior.