Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify socio-demographic correlates of total and domain-specific sedentary behavior (SB). Methods: Cross-sectional findings are based on 9218 participants (15–65 years) from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health. Data were collected between September 2014 and February 2015. Participants reported time spent in SB across specific domains. Sex, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic (SEL), and education level were used as sociodemographic indicators. Results: Participants spent a total of 373.3 min/day engaged in total SB. Men, younger adults, other ethnicities, higher SEL and educational level presented higher total SB when compared with women, older adults, white/Caucasian, and low SEL and educational level. Men spent more time on the playing videogames (b: 32.8: 95% CI: 14.6;51.1) and riding in an automobile (40.5: 31.3; 49.8). Computer time, reading, socializing or listening to music was higher in younger participants (<30 years) compared with those ≥50 years in the total sample. Compared to the low SEL and educational level groups, middle (11.7: 5.7; 17.6) and higher (15.1: 5.3; 24.9) SEL groups as well as middle (9.8: 3.6; 15.9) and higher (16.6: 6.5; 26.8) education level groups reported more time spent reading. Conclusion: Socio-demographic characteristics are associated with SB patterns (total and specific) across Latin American countries.
Highlights
In recent years, Latin America has experienced positive changes in public transport systems, increased female employment, rapid urbanization, industrial production patterns, and improved socioeconomic levels, leading to a decrease in the energy required to meet the burden of daily living [1].Over the past few decades, health promotion and public health research incentives have focused mostly on physical exercise and physical activity, due to its established relationship with chronic disease risk reduction [2]
Specific strategies focusing on the reduction of sedentary behavior (SB) among men and women should consider differences in levels of domain-specific SB according to sex, as well as how differences between sexes may vary across individual countries
In light of our findings, we suggest for the Latin American region context to consider other ethnicities as a separate target group when developing interventions aiming to reduce SB
Summary
Latin America has experienced positive changes in public transport systems, increased female employment, rapid urbanization, industrial production patterns, and improved socioeconomic levels, leading to a decrease in the energy required to meet the burden of daily living [1].Over the past few decades, health promotion and public health research incentives have focused mostly on physical exercise and physical activity, due to its established relationship with chronic disease risk reduction [2]. The majority of population-based evidence has been derived from studies using self-report exposure measures, typically with single item questions on television (TV) time, total sitting time [8], or time spent using print, broadcast, online, and social media [9,10]. The inclusion of such questions in epidemiological studies has provided informative insights into the prevalence of SB across different countries. Cross-country comparisons have reported wide variations in sitting time; countries such as Spain, and Northern Ireland, report
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