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Special Issue "Sedentary Behavior across the Life Course and Associations with Health"

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Behavior, Chronic Disease and Health Promotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 6114

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Marieke De Craemer

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
2. Research Foundation Flanders, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Interests: physical activity; sedentary behavior; sleep; 24-hour movement behaviors; clinical populations; interventions
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) welcomes submissions for a Special Issue which will focus on “Sedentary Behavior across the Life Course and Associations with Health”.

Sedentary behavior recently emerged as a new focus of research which is not only due to modern life in which sitting has become the dominant posture of most activities, but also because of its associations with different health indicators. In addition, sedentary behavior is prevalent in all age groups, from (young) children to adolescents, adults and older adults, and it is present in many settings, such as the home, the school, the office or passive transportation. As sedentary behavior is such a recent research topic, several aspects still need to be thoroughly investigated. Therefore, manuscripts on the following topics (though not limited to) are welcome to be submitted:

Factors influencing sedentary behavior;
Interventions targeting sedentary behavior;
Various settings (e.g., childcare, school, home, office, retirement home, transport);
Measurement of sedentary behavior;
The role of peers, family, teachers, members of the community, etc.

Researchers are invited to contribute novel work to be considered for publication in this Special Issue. Submissions may include original articles, short communications, or review articles (systematic review or meta-analyses). There are no restrictions regarding study design and methodology.

Prof. Dr. Marieke De Craemer
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sedentary behavior
interventions
health promotion
measurement
public health children
adolescents
adults
older adults
home environment
school environment
work environment
influencing factors
correlates
determinants

Related Special Issue

Sedentary Behaviour and Health in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (34 articles)

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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Open AccessArticle

The Association between Academic Schedule and Physical Activity Behaviors in University Students

Yingyi Wu

Pascal W. M. Van Gerven

Renate H. M. de Groot

Bert O. Eijnde

Jan Seghers

Bjorn Winkens

and

Hans H. C. M. Savelberg

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1572; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021572 - 15 Jan 2023

Viewed by 783

Abstract

Background: University students sit too much, which is detrimental to their physical and mental health. Academic schedules, including scheduled education time and self-study time, may influence their physical activity behaviors. Objectives: To investigate (1) the association between scheduled education time and students’ physical activity levels during weekdays; (2) the association between self-study time and students’ physical activity levels during the weekdays and weekends. Methods: 126 (68 Maastricht University (UM); 58 KU Leuven (KUL)) first-year undergraduate students in biomedical sciences (mean ± SD age: 19.3 ± 1.0, BMI: 22.0 ± 3.0, 17% men, 83% women) completed a demographics questionnaire and reported their academic activities with a 7-day logbook. Furthermore, their physical activity behavior was measured with the activPAL monitor for 7 days. Linear mixed models were used to examine the associations between university (UM versus KUL), academic activities (scheduled education time and self-study time), and students’ activity levels. Results: During weekdays, each hour of scheduled education time per day was significantly associated with a 1.3 min decrease of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day. Scheduled education time was not significantly associated with the sedentary time, light-intensity physical activity (LPA), and active sedentary behavior ratio. Each hour of self-study per day was significantly associated with 8 min more of sedentary time per day, 6 min less LPA per day, and 1.3 min less MVPA per day. Self-study time was not significantly associated with active sedentary behavior ratio. During the weekend, each hour of self-study time per day was associated with an additional 17.8 min of sedentary time per day and a reduction of 15.2 min of LPA per day. Self-study time was not significantly associated with the time spent doing MVPA and active sedentary behavior ratio. Conclusions: It could be more effective to change students’ physical activity behaviors during self-study than during scheduled education time. Therefore, offering a study environment that reduces sedentary behavior and promotes light-intensity physical activity, is crucial. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sedentary Behavior across the Life Course and Associations with Health)

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Association between Physical Activity Levels and Brain Volumes in Adults Visiting Radio-Imaging Center of Tertiary Care Hospital

Deepika Raja

Sneha Ravichandran

Baskaran Chandrasekaran

and

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17079; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417079 - 19 Dec 2022

Viewed by 860

Abstract

Background and aim: There is evidence to support the favorable impact of physical activity (PA) on brain volume. However, the empirical evidence exploring the relationship between physical and sedentary behavior remains mixed. We aimed to explore the relationship between PA and sedentary behavior and brain volume. Methods: The study sample (n = 150, mean age = 39.7 years) included patients interviewed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) who underwent an MRI brain scan. From the images obtained, we measured total intracranial, gray matter, and white matter volume along with the hippocampus, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Multivariable linear regression analysis was done. Results and discussion: Left hippocampus and overall PA were positively and significantly associated (β = 0.71, p = 0.021) whereas time spent on vigorous physical activity showed a negative association (β = −0.328, p = 0.049) with left hippocampal volume. Conclusion: We found a positive association between total PA and the left hippocampus, whereas vigorous PA showed a negative association with the left hippocampus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sedentary Behavior across the Life Course and Associations with Health)

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Open AccessArticle

A Standardised Core Outcome Set for Measurement and Reporting Sedentary Behaviour Interventional Research: The CROSBI Consensus Study

Fiona Curran

Kieran P. Dowd

Casey L. Peiris

Hidde P. van der Ploeg

Mark S. Tremblay

and

Grainne O’Donoghue

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9666; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159666 - 05 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1093

Abstract

Heterogeneity of descriptors and outcomes measured and reported in sedentary behaviour (SB) research hinder the meta-analysis of data and accumulation of evidence. The objective of the Core Research Outcomes for Sedentary Behaviour Interventions (CROSBI) consensus study was to identify and validate, a core outcome set (COS) to report (what, how, when to measure) in interventional sedentary behaviour studies. Outcomes, extracted from a systematic literature review, were categorized into domains and data items (COS v0.0). International experts (n = 5) provided feedback and identified additional items, which were incorporated into COS v0.1. A two round online Delphi survey was conducted to seek consensus from a wider stakeholder group and outcomes that achieved consensus in the second round COS (v0.2), were ratified by the expert panel. The final COS (v1.0) contains 53 data items across 12 domains, relating to demographics, device details, wear-time criteria, wear-time measures, posture-related measures, sedentary breaks, sedentary bouts and physical activity. Notably, results indicate that sedentary behaviour outcomes should be measured by devices that include an inclinometry or postural function. The proposed standardised COS is available openly to enhance the accumulation of pooled evidence in future sedentary behaviour intervention research and practice. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sedentary Behavior across the Life Course and Associations with Health)

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Open AccessArticle

Planning for a Healthy Aging Program to Reduce Sedentary Behavior: Perceptions among Diverse Older Adults

Efekona Nuwere

Bethany Barone Gibbs

Pamela E. Toto

and

Sharon E. Taverno Ross

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6068; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106068 - 17 May 2022

Viewed by 1500

Abstract

Reducing prolonged engagement in sedentary behavior is increasingly considered a viable pathway to older-adult health and continued functional ability. Community-based programs that aim to increase physical activity can improve programs’ acceptability by integrating older adults’ perspectives on sedentary behavior and healthy aging into their design. The purpose of this study was to better understand the perceptions of a diverse group of community-dwelling older adults regarding sedentary behavior and its influence on healthy aging. Six focus group discussions with forty-six participants took place across two senior centers in New York City. Self-report questionnaires about daily activity patterns, general health status, and typical sedentary behaviors were also completed by the participants and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The focus group discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using inductive and deductive approaches and an ecological framework to identify salient themes. A qualitative analysis revealed that the participants were aware of the physical costs of engaging in prolonged sedentary behavior. However, many routine sedentary activities were perceived to be health-promoting and of psychological, cognitive, or social value. The insights gained can inform the development of senior-center programs and health-promotion messaging strategies that aim to reduce older adults’ sedentary behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sedentary Behavior across the Life Course and Associations with Health)

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Review

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Open AccessReview

Influence of Sedentary Behaviour Interventions on Vascular Functions and Cognitive Functions in Hypertensive Adults—A Scoping Review on Potential Mechanisms and Recommendations

Sneha Ravichandran

Suresh Sukumar

Baskaran Chandrasekaran

Rajagopal Kadavigere

Shivshankar K N

Hari Prakash Palaniswamy

Raghuraj Uppoor

Kayalvizhi Ravichandran

Meshari Almeshari

Yasser Alzamil

and

Ahmad Abanomy

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15120; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215120 - 16 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1474

Abstract

Since the workplace has become desk-based and leisure time has become dominated by digital relaxation modes, the world is moving at a pace where physical activity has become a time-bound routine. The negative effects of extended sitting are a global concern since the workforce is becoming more desk based. There is a dearth of reviews that may link the knowledge on the effects of sedentary behaviour on hypertension and its accompanying damage to the brain and blood vessels and provide a future scope for the investigations connected to the relationship between sedentary behaviour and hypertension. Methods: Based on the database search and extensive research we did, we found studies that concentrated on the adverse effects of sedentary behaviour in association with blood pressure, cognitive decline and brain damage on adults. Results: We extracted 12 articles out of 20,625. We identified the potential adverse effects of sedentary behaviour, methods to reduce sedentary behaviour and the positive changes on health due to the interventions introduced. Sedentary lifestyle has shown a decline in human health. However, the visible symptoms presented later in life makes it very important to know the areas of decline and look for ways to curb the decline or procrastinate it. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sedentary Behavior across the Life Course and Associations with Health)

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