Sedentary behavior among university students and its socio-ecological correlates during the academic day: a...

Prolonged sitting is linked to adverse health outcomes and is particularly prevalent among university students. While individual determinants have been widely studied, less is known about the broader range of socio-ecological influences on sitting during structured academic activities. This study aims to examine the prevalence of sedentary time and its socio-ecological correlates within the academic course of the day of university students.

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 434 students (81.8% female) with a mean age of 22.9 ± 3.5 years. Participants self-reported their sedentary time during the academic day and within 90-min teaching units, using an adapted version of the Occupational Sitting and Physical Activity Questionnaire (OSPAQ). Correlates at individual, social and environmental levels were also self-reported. Logistic regression models were used to identify associations with (1) overall sedentary time, (2) uninterrupted sitting during 90-min teaching unit, and (3) number of sitting breaks during 90-min teaching units.

Students self-reported sitting for an average of 12.4 ± 3.2 h per day, with 55% taking no breaks during lectures. Motivational self-efficacy and autonomy were associated with reduced sitting and more frequent interruptions of sitting. Social norms supporting movement predicted less sitting, while subjective norms encouraging sitting were linked to more sedentary patterns. A self-reported movement-supportive environment showed strong associations with sitting interruptions during lectures, both in bivariate [OR = 3.43, 95% CI (1.98-5.95)] and multivariate analyses [OR = 2.14, 95% CI (1.04-4.40)].

Our findings demonstrate that sedentary behavior among university students is shaped by factors across multiple socio-ecological levels. Motivational self-efficacy emerged as the most consistent individual-level correlate, significantly associated with all three sitting outcomes. These findings highlight the need for interventions that address both individual correlates and the structural embedding of sitting in the university context at a social and environmental level. Universities should consider reforms that reduce sedentary constraints and expand behavioral options, such as integrating physically active teaching formats and redesigning learning spaces.