Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 176 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (88 download)
Book Synopsis An Examination of Sedentary Behavior and Health Outcomes in Adults by :
Download or read book An Examination of Sedentary Behavior and Health Outcomes in Adults written by and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ultimate goal of this project was to gain a better understanding of the role sedentary behavior plays in determining the health of adults. Three studies were completed that were designed to answer questions relating to the association between sedentary behavior and various health outcomes in older adults, how the interaction between sedentary behavior and physical activity affects these associations, a description of time spent in various sedentary behavior domains by older adults, and how age and participation in physical activity affects the dose-reposonse relationship between sedentary behavior and health outcomes. We found that, in older adults, time spent in sedentary behavior is positively associated with biomarkers linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes even in those who are active enough to meet the physical activity recommendations for public health. Also, the manner in which sedentary behavior is accumulated is an important predictor of physical function in older adults, whereby taking fewer breaks and spending time in longer bouts of sedentary behavior is associated with worse performance on tests of function. Lastly, the presence of a linear relationship between sedentary behavior and odds of having metabolic syndrome suggests that there is no threshold of sedentary behavior that needs to be met before the risk of harm begins to rise for that particular outcome. Taken together, the findings from these three studies contribute to the growing body of evidence to suggest that the amount of time adults spend in sedentary behavior can have a significant impact on their health. What we found confirms the recommendation by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans to "avoid inactivity" in addition to accumulating adequate moderate to vigorous activity, because it appears that increasing amounts of total time and time spent in longer bouts of sedentary behavior are harmful, and participation in physical activity does not protect against this harm. Hopefully, these findings will foster interventions to reduce sedentary behavior and meaningfully contribute to future revisions of the Physical Activity Guidelines with more specific information concerning strategies to avoid excessive sedentary behavior in order to promote health.