Abstract
BackgroundSedentary behaviour is related to poorer health independently of time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether wellbeing or symptoms of anxiety or depression predict sedentary behaviour in older adults.MethodParticipants were drawn from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) (n = 271), and the West of Scotland Twenty-07 1950s (n = 309) and 1930s (n = 118) cohorts. Sedentary outcomes, sedentary time, and number of sit-to-stand transitions, were measured with a three-dimensional accelerometer (activPAL activity monitor) worn for 7 days. In the Twenty-07 cohorts, symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed in 2008 and sedentary outcomes were assessed ~ 8 years later in 2015 and 2016. In the LBC1936 cohort, wellbeing and symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed concurrently with sedentary behaviour in 2015 and 2016. We tested for an association between wellbeing, anxiety or depression and the sedentary outcomes using multivariate regression analysis.ResultsWe observed no association between wellbeing or symptoms of anxiety and the sedentary outcomes. Symptoms of depression were positively associated with sedentary time in the LBC1936 and Twenty-07 1950s cohort, and negatively associated with number of sit-to-stand transitions in the LBC1936. Meta-analytic estimates of the association between depressive symptoms and sedentary time or number of sit-to-stand transitions, adjusted for age, sex, BMI, long-standing illness, and education, were β = 0.11 (95% CI = 0.03, 0.18) and β = − 0.11 (95% CI = − 0.19, −0.03) respectively.ConclusionOur findings indicate that depressive symptoms are positively associated with sedentary behavior. Future studies should investigate the causal direction of this association.
Highlights
Sedentary behaviour is related to poorer health independently of time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity
We observed no association between wellbeing or symptoms of anxiety and the sedentary outcomes
Symptoms of depression were positively associated with sedentary time in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) and Twenty-07 1950s cohort, and negatively associated with number of sit-to-stand transitions in the LBC1936
Summary
Sedentary behaviour is related to poorer health independently of time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity. Sedentary behaviour, defined as any waking behaviour in a seated or reclined posture that involves an energy expenditure of ≤1.5 metabolic equivalent of task [1], is related to poorer health independently of time spent in moderate to vigorous activity [2,3,4,5,6,7,8] This finding has informed public health guidelines: in addition to recommending engagement in moderate physical activity, the UK Department of Health advises that adults over the age of 65 should minimise the time they spend being sedentary for extended periods [9]. We chose to include both positive and negative wellbeing measures as findings from previous studies indicate that these measures can be differentially related to health behaviours [21,22,23]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
