Sitting time in different contexts in Austrian adolescents and association with weight status

Abstract

<abstract> <p>The detrimental effects of high amounts of sedentary time on various health outcomes have been well documented. Particularly among youth, there are many sedentary pursuits that compete with active leisure time choices, which contribute to a high prevalence of insufficiently active children and adolescents. Therefore, the present study examined the time spent in various sedentary behaviors and the association with body weight in Austrian adolescents. Sedentary time was assessed with the “Heidelberg Questionnaire to Record the Sitting Behavior of Children and Adolescents” for 1225 (49.8% male) middle- and high-school students between 11 and 17 years of age. Their body weights and heights were measured with participants wearing gym clothes. The weight categories were established based on body mass index (BMI) percentiles using the German reference system. The average daily sedentary time across the entire sample was 12.0 ± 1.6 h, and 45% of the sedentary behaviors during the entire week were attributed to schoolwork. Normal weight participants reported a lower amount of sitting time compared to their overweight and obese peers, where they spent more time with physical activity and sleeping. Specifically, a higher body weight was associated with more time spent with recreational sedentary behaviors, while differences across the weight categories were limited for work-related sitting. Given the detrimental health effects of high amounts of sedentary behaviors, additional efforts are needed to promote physical activity in adolescents, particularly for those with an excess body weight. As almost half of the sedentary behaviors were attributed to work, schools could be a particularly viable setting for interventions that target an active lifestyle.</p> </abstract>