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Changes in sedentary behaviour in European Union adults between 2002 and 2017
A López-Valenciano1,2, X Mayo3, G Liguori4
1Observatory of Healthy & Active Living of Spain Active Foundation, Centre for Sport Studies, King Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain.
BMC Public Health
|August 27, 2020
Summary
Sedentary behaviour (SB) prevalence increased in European Union adults from 2002 to 2017. This trend was observed across both genders and varied significantly between EU countries, indicating a need for more effective public health strategies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Sedentary behaviour (SB) is a significant mortality risk factor and a public health challenge.
- Existing research highlights the need for strategies to monitor, prevent, and reduce SB.
- A systematic analysis of SB changes in the European Union (EU) adult population was lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine changes in sedentary behaviour (SB) prevalence among adults in the European Union (EU) between 2002 and 2017.
- To analyze country-specific and gender-specific trends in SB over the study period.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of sedentary behaviour prevalence (>4h30mins sitting time/day) using data from 96,004 adults across EU Special Eurobarometers surveys (2002, 2005, 2013, 2017).
- Utilized a modified International Physical Activity Questionnaire for SB assessment.
- Employed chi-squared tests and Z-score tests for statistical analysis of prevalence differences between countries and genders.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant increase in SB prevalence was observed for the overall EU adult sample from 49.3% in 2002 to 54.5% in 2017.
- Both men and women showed increasing SB prevalence over the study period, with higher prevalence consistently observed in men.
- Significant variations in SB prevalence were found between different EU countries across all surveyed years.
Conclusions:
- Sedentary behaviour prevalence has increased in the EU adult population between 2002 and 2017, affecting both men and women.
- Persistent disparities in SB prevalence exist among EU countries and between genders.
- Current policies and interventions appear to have had a limited impact on reducing overall sedentary behaviour at the EU population level.
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