scholarly journals Cell phone use predicts being an “active couch potato”: results from a cross-sectional survey of sufficiently active college students

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 205520761984487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Lepp ◽  
Jacob E. Barkley

Objective “Active couch potato” describes an individual who is sufficiently physically active yet highly sedentary. Cell phones promote activities understood as sedentary behaviors (e.g. watching videos). Research demonstrates that cell phone use is positively associated with sedentary behavior. Although sedentary behavior typically displaces physical activity, no relationship between cell phone use and physical activity has been found. Thus, it is possible that some sufficiently active individuals are also high-frequency cell phone users and therefore highly sedentary. In other words, cell phone use may predict being an “active couch potato” among active people. Testing this hypothesis was the purpose of this study. “Active couch potatoes” are of concern as the negative effects of excessive sedentary behavior are independent of the benefits of physical activity. Methods College students (228) completed validated surveys assessing physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cell phone use. Using a previously validated method, participants were rated as sufficiently active or not based upon their physical activity survey score. Participants who were not sufficiently active were excluded from further analysis resulting in a final sample of 171. These sufficiently active individuals were categorized as “active couch potatoes” if they were also highly sedentary (i.e. sitting for eight or more hours/day). Logistic regression determined if cell phone use predicted being categorized as an “active couch potato.” Results Cell phone use was a significant, positive predictor of being an “active couch potato.” With each additional hour of daily cell phone use, the odds of becoming an “active couch potato” increased by 11.4% (Wald = 5.934, P = 0.015, Exp(B) = 1.114). On average, active couch potatoes used their cell phone 1.7 hours more each day than their sufficiently active but not overly sedentary peers. Conclusion Increased cell phone use was a significant predictor of being an “active couch potato.” Explanations and implications are discussed.

2021 ◽  
pp. 089011712098583
Author(s):  
Mats Hallgren ◽  
Davy Vancampfort ◽  
Thi-Thuy-Dung Nguyen ◽  
Elin Ekblom-Bak ◽  
Peter Wallin ◽  
...  

Purpose: To describe physical activity habits, sedentary behavior, and cardiorespiratory fitness levels among alcohol abstainers, hazardous and non-hazardous drinkers. Design: Cross-sectional study with data collected between 2017-19. Setting: Sweden. Subjects: Adults aged 18-65 years (n = 47,559; 59.4% male). Measures: During a routine health assessment, participants answered validated single-item questions regarding: habitual physical activity, structured exercise, and the percentage of time spent sedentary during leisure-time (past 30 days), and completed a 6-minute cycle ergometer test (V02max) to determine cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). Participants were categorized as alcohol abstainers, non-hazardous drinkers or hazardous drinkers (low/high) based on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) cut-points for men and women. Analysis: Logistic regression models stratified by sex and age. Results: Compared to non-hazardous drinkers, the heaviest drinkers were less physically active (males: OR = 1.38, CI = 1.13-1.67, p = .001; females: OR = 1.41, CI = 1.01-1.97, p = .040) and more sedentary during leisure time (males: OR = 1.94, CI = 1.62-2.32, p = .000; females: OR = 1.62, CI = 1.21-2.16, p = .001). Apart from young females, the heaviest drinkers also did less structured exercise than non-hazardous drinkers (males: OR = 1.22, CI = 1.15-1.51, p = .000; females: OR = 1.43, CI = 1.15-1.78, p = .001). The strongest associations were seen among adults aged 40-65 years (shown here). High-hazardous drinking was associated with low CRF among older males only (OR = 1.19, CI = 1.00-1.41). Conclusion: Middle-aged adults with AUDIT-C scores of ≥6 (women) and ≥7 (men) were less physically active and more sedentary during leisure time and may be appropriate targets for physical activity interventions.


2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew E. Springer ◽  
Deanna M. Hoelscher ◽  
Steven H. Kelder

Background:Geographic differences in the prevalence of physical activity (PA) have been found among adults in the US; similar studies have not been conducted among adolescents.Methods:Using nationally representative cross-sectional data from the CDC’s 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, we estimated the prevalence of PA and sedentary behaviors by metropolitan status and geographic region.Results:The prevalence of PA was lowest and prevalence of sedentary behavior highest for urban students. Students from the South reported the lowest prevalence of PA and the highest prevalence of TV watching, while students from the West generally reported the highest PA prevalence and lowest sedentary behavior prevalence. Prevalence differences ranged from < 1.0% to > 15%, with most differences falling between 5% and 10%.Conclusions:Findings mirror regional variations previously observed in adult PA. We need to understand factors that contribute to lower PA in youth living in the South and in urban settings.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Motoko Kawashima ◽  
Miki Uchino ◽  
Norihiko Yokoi ◽  
Yuichi Uchino ◽  
Murat Dogru ◽  
...  

Purpose. To assess the association of dry eye disease (DED) with physical activity and sedentary behavior.Methods. The cross-sectional survey conducted included Japanese office workers who use visual display terminals (n=672). DED was assessed according to the Japanese Dry Eye Diagnostic Criteria, and participants were categorized into “definite DED,” “probable DED,” or “non-DED” groups based on the results of DED examinations. Physical activity and sedentary behavior of participants were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and physical activity level was calculated in metabolic equivalent units per week (MET, min/week). Participants were classified as having a high, moderate, or low level of physical activity.Results. Participants with abnormal tear break-up time (BUT) (≤5 s) were involved in sedentary behavior for significantly longer duration than those with normal BUT (P=0.035). Non-DED participants (14.5%) tended to have higher levels of physical activity than definite DED participants (2.5%). Participants with definite DED had significantly lower MET scores than those with non-DED (P=0.025).Conclusions. Our findings suggest that a lower level of physical activity and sedentary behavior are associated with DED; however, longitudinal/intervention studies with large groups of participants are needed to validate these findings.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mezna A. AlMarzooqi

Background: Social media became an integral part of the lives of people because it encourages social relations and shares interests, activities, and real-life connections. As quarantine and lockdown orders are prolonged, many people, as well as those physically active individuals, typically responded to this stressful condition by using social media platforms.Objective: This study aimed to examine the level of physical activity of physically active individuals and their attitudes toward social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among physically active individuals in Saudi Arabia between June 2020 and July 2020. An online survey was employed among eligible participants who completed a self-administered questionnaire that covered reasons for physical activity and attitudes toward social media platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: Of these 323 participants, 29.1% were in the age group of 18–24 years, 66.6% were women, and 67.8% were single. The proportion of participants whose metabolic equivalent of tasks-min/week from vigorous activity &lt;1,680 was 31.9%, and all of the participants follow people or pages in social media related to sports teams and fitness models. The average number of hours spent on social media per day was 2.95 ± 0.90 h. The majority of the participants showed positive attitudes toward social media used for exercise and physical activity. Of the eight variables, age, level of physical activity, and the average of hours spent on social media emerged as significant predictors of attitudes toward the use of social media (P &lt; 0.05).Conclusions: The present survey results indicate adverse consequences of home quarantine as reflected by a small proportion of participants who had differences in levels of vigorous activities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Social media appears to be a key avenue to promote and disseminate health interventions to promote physical activity during this COVID-19 pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
E L M Ruiter ◽  
G A J Fransen ◽  
M Kleinjan ◽  
G R M Molleman ◽  
K van der Velden ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To increase our understanding of the effect of parenting on the child’s likelihood of becoming overweight, we attempted to identify typologies based on how consistently parents apply dietary and sedentary behavior rules, and we examined whether these typologies are associated with energy balance-related behaviors in children and/or with the prevalence of overweight children. Methods Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey of the Community Health Service in Nijmegen, the Netherlands in which a total of 4,865 parents of children aged 4-12 years participated. Data were collected using validated self-report questionnaires. To identify typologies based on how consistently parents apply dietary and sedentary behavior rules, we performed latent class analyses. We then performed regression analyses to examine the correlation between these typologies and socio-demographic characteristics, dietary and sedentary behaviors, and overweight. Results Latent class analyses revealed the existence of the following four distinct, stable classes/typologies; parents who have: (1) no dietary behavior rules, plus indulgent sedentary behavior rules; (2) indulgent dietary behavior rules, plus no sedentary behavior rules; (3) overall indulgent rules; (4) overall strict rules. Children of parents with overall strict rules (class 4) had significantly healthier dietary and sedentary behaviors compared to the children of parents in the other three classes. Children 8-12 years of age with parents in class 2 were the most likely to be overweight; compared to the children of parents in classes 1, 3, and 4, the parents in class 2 had the lowest level of education and the higher number of Turkish and Moroccan immigrants. Conclusions These results underscore the need for parents to establish strict rules for their children, particularly regarding sedentary behaviour in order to minimize the child’s likelihood of becoming overweight. Key messages The results underscore the need for parents to establish strict rules for their children, particularly regarding sedentary behaviour in order to minimize the child’s likelihood of becoming overweight. These results may contribute to making healthcare professionals aware that children of parents who do not apply sedentary behavior rules are more likely to become overweight.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helene Buch Pedersen ◽  
Morten Helmer-Nielsen ◽  
Karin Brochstedt Dieperink ◽  
Birte Østergaard

Background:Exercise on prescription (EOP) is an attempt to increase physical activity among sedentary adults with signs of lifestyle diseases. Until now, no studies have focused on patients with chronic diseases and how they assess the long-term effect of participating in EOP consisting of supervised interventions of different intensities. This study aimed to describe and compare self-reported physical activity in the long term among participants in 3 EOP modules of different intensities.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1152 former participants in EOP between July 2005 and May 2007 in 2 Danish counties. Physical activity was measured as number of days with a minimum 30 minutes of moderate/vigorous activity.Results:Seventy-five percent (n = 854) returned the questionnaire. Of these, 36% reported being physically active ≥ 5 days/week. Comparing leisure-time activities before EOP 29% was sedentary vs. 15% (P < 0 .01) after, moderate + hard leisure-time activities was 7% before vs. 19% after EOP (P < 0 .01). Time postintervention did not influence the numbers reporting to be physical active negatively.Conclusions:This study in community-dwelling adults with chronic diseases participating in EOP finds that approximately one-third reported being physically active in the long term postintervention, but no differences between the modalities were found.


Author(s):  
Chelsea Carpenter ◽  
Sang-Eun Byun ◽  
Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy ◽  
Delia West

College students exhibit high levels of sedentary time and/or poor lifestyle factors (e.g., poor sleep, stress, physical inactivity). It is unknown; however, in what domains college students spend their sedentary time and whether there are associations between sedentary time and these lifestyle factors. This study examined sedentary behavior of college students by domains, current lifestyle factors and sociodemographics. Undergraduates (n = 272, M age = 20 years, 79% female) self-reported their sedentary behavior, sleep, stress, physical activity, anthropometrics and sociodemographics. Sedentary time was categorized as: total, recreational screen, education and social. Students reported spending >12 h of their day sedentary on average, with over a third of this time spent in recreational screen time. All categories of sedentary time were significantly correlated with body mass index, and both total sedentary time and screen time were significantly correlated with sleep score, with poorer sleep quality associated with greater sedentary time. Physical activity was negatively correlated with social sedentary time only. Subgroups with elevated sedentary time included minority students, those with low parental education and students with overweight/obesity. Given the negative health impacts of sedentary behavior, college students would likely benefit from interventions tailored to this population which target reducing sedentary time, particularly recreational screen time.


2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. 896
Author(s):  
Jacob E. Barkley ◽  
Andrew Lepp ◽  
Takahiro Sato ◽  
Koji Yamatsu ◽  
Ellen L. Glickman

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sook-Hyun Lee ◽  
Chihyoung Son ◽  
Sujung Yeo ◽  
In-Hyuk Ha

Abstract Background An increasing amount of evidence supports an association between sedentary behaviors and chronic knee pain. However, the association between the total daily duration of sedentary behavior and chronic knee pain in the general population remains unclear. We aimed to analyze the association between sedentary behavior and chronic knee pain in a study population representative of the general Korean population aged > 50 years while also considering the physical activity or body mass index (BMI). Methods This cross-sectional study used data from the 6th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES VI) of 2013–2015, which was completed by 22,948 Korean adult participants aged > 50 years. The participants were divided into two groups based on the status of the chronic knee pain. Data were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression after adjustment for age, sex, and individual factors. Results Longer sedentary behavior was correlated with chronic knee pain (p for trend = 0.02). Sedentary behavior exceeding 10 h/day was significantly associated with chronic knee pain (adjusted odds ratio, 1.28; p = 0.03). Participants with high levels of physical activity were less likely to suffer from chronic knee pain (adjusted odds ratio, 0.78; p = 0.00), and women with over 10 daily hours of sedentary behavior with high levels of physical activity were more likely to have chronic knee pain. A significant association was noted between chronic knee pain and obesity (≥30.0 kg/m2) individuals (adjusted odds ratio, 3.48; p = 0.04). Conclusions Longer duration of sedentary behaviors was correlated with chronic knee pain. Our study suggests the need to encourage reductions in overall sedentary behavior to < 10 h daily. A high physical activity level is recommended, particularly for women > 50 years and those with obesity.


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