Abstract
BackgroundThe socioecological model proposes a wide array of factors that influence behaviours. There is a need to understand salient correlates of these activity behaviours in a specific population. However, few studies identified socio-demographic, behavioural, physical, and psychological correlates of objectively-assessed physical activity and sedentary time in young adults.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional analysis of participants in the Raine Study (a pregnancy cohort started in 1989). Australian young adults (mean 22.1 years ± SD 0.6) wore Actigraph GT3X+ accelerometers on the hip 24 h/day for seven days to assess moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (n = 256 women, n = 219 men). Potential correlates were assessed via clinical assessment and questionnaire and included socio-demographic variables (ethnicity, relationship status, work/study status, education, mothers education), health behaviours (food intake, alcohol consumption, smoking status, sleep quality), and physical and psychological health aspects (anthropometrics, diagnosed disorders, mental health, cognitive performance). Backwards elimination (p < 0.2 for retention) with mixed model regressions were used and the gender-stratified analyses were adjusted for demographic variables, waking wear time and number of valid days.ResultsIncreased time spent in MVPA was associated with: being single (IRR 1.44 vs in a relationship living together, 95%CI: 1.17, 1.77, p = .001) in women; and better sleep quality in men (lower scores better IRR 0.97, 95%CI: 0.93, 1.00). Less time spent sedentary was associated with: lower mother’s education (− 32.1 min/day, 95%CI -52.9, 11.3, p = 0.002 for having mother with no university degree vs at least a baccalaureate degree) and smoking (− 44.3 min/day, 95%CI: - 72.8, − 15.9, p = .0002) for women; lower education status (− 32.1 min/day, 95%CI: -59.5, − 4.8, p = 0.021 for having no university degree vs at least a baccalaureate degree) and lower depression scores in men (− 2.0, 95%CI: - 3.5, − 0.4, p = 0.014); more alcoholic drinks per week for women (− 1.9 min/day, 95%CI: -3.1, − 0.6, p = 0.003) and men (− 1.0, 95%CI: -1.8, − 0.3, p = 0.007).ConclusionsLess desirable correlates were associated with positive levels of activity in young Australian adult women and men. Interventions to increase MVPA and decrease sedentary activity in young adults need to specifically consider the life stage of young adults.
Highlights
While the socioecological model proposes a wide array of factors that influence behaviours, understanding the salient correlates of these activity behaviours in a specific population is an essential step to informing prospective longitudinal studies by focusing in on potential predictors of behaviour and targets for interventions
This study extends previous research investigating correlates of activity and sedentary time in that it used an objective measure of activity in young adults rather than self-report measures, the latter of which are prone to bias and poor validity
To examine which aspects of physical and psychological health were associated with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time, potential health correlates were examined individually adjusted for sociodemographic confounders, and other health behaviours
Summary
Potential correlates of physical activity and sedentary time were selected, a priori, based on literature and public health theory grouped into domains of sociodemographic, health behaviours, and physical & psychological health variables. Unadjusted, analyses are included in Additional file 1: Table S2 to enable comparisons to other studies This stepped approach of adjusting was selected to adjust for potential confounders but not to adjust for related causes (variables likely to be on the same causal pathway) [35]. To examine sociodemographic factors associated with MVPA and sedentary time, potential sociodemographic correlates were examined individually, and adjusted for each other, eliminating variables with p > 0.2. To examine which aspects of physical and psychological health were associated with MVPA and sedentary time, potential health correlates were examined individually adjusted for sociodemographic confounders, and other health behaviours. We did not mutually adjust the health factors to examine independent relationships as health factors are known to commonly co-occur, identifying which independent health factors are most related was not of interest
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