The Relationship between Cell Phone Use, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior In Adults above College-age

Abstract

While there is evidence of a positive relationship between cellular telephone (cell phone) use and sedentary behavior, but not physical activity in college-aged individuals (18-29 years old), these relationships have not been tested in individuals older than college age (≥ 30 years old). This research is warranted as cell phone use is inversely associated with age; thus these relationships may be different in older individuals. PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between cell phone use, physical activity and sedentary behavior in adults older than college age (≥ 30 years old). METHODS: Adults aged 30-63 years (N = 69, 51 ± 8 years old) wore physical activity monitors (accelerometers) for seven days and completed surveys assessing daily cell phone use, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Pearson’s correlation analyses were performed to assess relationships between cell phone use and age, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Participants were then split into tertiles based on total cell phone use (low, moderate, and high) and a MANCOVA (sex and age as covariates) was used to determine if there were group differences in physical activity and sedentary behavior. RESULTS: Cell phone use ( = 125.2 ± 146.8 minutes per day) was inversely associated with age (r = - 0.3, p = 0.005). Cell phone use was not associated with objectively- or subjectively-measured physical activity or sedentary behavior (r ≤ 0.1, p ≥ 0.3 for all). There were also no significant differences in physical activity or sedentary behavior between the low, moderate, and high cell phone user groups (F ≤ 2.0, p ≥ 0.12 for all). CONCLUSION: Consistent with previous research, there was an inverse relationship between cell phone use and age. Unlike what has been reported in college-aged individuals, cell phone use was not associated with sedentary behavior in adults older than college age. Because younger individuals are “digital natives” who have been raised with near-constant access to cell phones this may be their sedentary activity of choice. Conversely, adults who are older may prefer other, more traditional forms of sedentary activities such as watching television and using a desktop computer. This may explain the lack of a relationship between cell phone use and sedentary behavior in adults beyond college age.