Sedentary Behavior and Health. Concepts, Assessments, and Interventions

Description

From office jobs and long commutes to passive entertainment like television and video games, humans are sitting more than ever. Though lack of exercise has major health consequences, researchers are now examining the additional and widespread health risk of the simple act of sitting for extended periods. With research from leading scientists, Sedentary Behavior and Health: Concepts, Assessments, and Intervention presents evidence on sedentary behavior, its apparent health risks, and suggestions on measuring and altering this behavior.

The highly respected international author team provides an interdisciplinary review of current research, examining scientific, public health, and broader social questions about the implications of sedentary behavior. These topics include humans’ physiological predispositions, exacerbation of current health conditions like obesity and diabetes, and the design and ergonomics of offices and chairs. 

To examine the many facets of this developing area of study, Sedentary Behavior and Healthis divided into five parts:

• “Sedentary Behavior Concepts and Context” reviews the physiology of sedentary behavior, investigating current habits from the perspectives of evolution, industrial engineering, and design. 
• “Sedentary Behavior and Health” explores the relationship between sedentary behavior and several major chronic diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and low-back pain. 
• “Measuring and Analyzing Sedentary Behavior” explains research methods for understanding and measuring sedentary behavior in order to recognize patterns and design interventions.
• “Sedentary Behavior and Subpopulations” covers issues, risks, and behaviors in groups such as children, working adults, older adults, and minorities.
• “Changing Sedentary Behavior” provides methods and recommendations for improvement with environmental, social, community, worksite, and technology-based interventions.

Included in this groundbreaking text are learning objectives, key concepts, and study questions to focus attention on key issues and reinforce concepts. Reviews of the literature in the field are presented, many with comparisons in table form, to provide the full scope of research. Sidebars throughout the text apply theoretical concepts to real-world scenarios. 

Inactivity is mismatched with many aspects of humans’ genetic makeup. While it is becoming the new norm, the consequences of this behavior are emerging as a public health threat. Sedentary Behavior and Health will serve as a key reference for the rapidly emerging research area of sedentary behavior.

Contents 

Part I. Sedentary Behavior Concepts and Context

Chapter 1. Emergence of Research on Sedentary Behavior and Health 

Neville Owen

Contemporary Sedentary Behavior Research and Concepts

Sedentary Behavior and Health

Sedentary Research Agenda

Sedentary Behavior Research Priorities

Summary

Chapter 2. Gravity, Sitting, and Health

Joan Vernikos

Gravity and Spaceflight

Head Down Bed Rest Studies

Gravity Deprivation Syndrome

Health Consequences of Prolonged Sitting and Gravity

Perceiving Gravity

Gravity Intervention Design and Implementation

Summary

Chapter 3. Physiological Effects of Reducing and Breaking Up Sitting Time

David W. Dunstan, Bethany J. Howard, Audrey Bergouignan, Bronwyn A. Kingwell, and Neville Owen 

Methodological Considerations for Studies of Sedentary Behavior

Metabolic Effects of Reduced Sitting and the Postprandial State

Cardio Metabolic Effects Following Exposure to Reduced Sitting 

Cardiometabolic Effects of Repeated-Day Exposure to Reduced Sitting

Public Health and Clinical Guidelines

Summary

Chapter 4. Rethinking the Chair and Sitting 

Galen Cranz

Problems with Sitting in Chairs

Chair Designer Response

Postural Education

Summary

Chapter 5. Children and Screen Time 

Jorge A. Banda and Thomas N. Robinson

Screen Time Exposure

Mobile Devices and Screen Time Changes 

Influences on Media Use 

Screen Time and Body Weight

Screen Time and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors

Screen Time, Physical Activity, and Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Screen Time and Dietary Habits

Experimental Studies of Reducing Screen Time

Summary

Part II. Sedentary Behavior and Health 

Chapter 6. Economics of Sedentary Occupations 

Kenneth A. Glover

Economic Sectors

Economics of Inactivity 

Worksite Health Promotion

Regulation and Innovation

Choice Architecture

Summary

Chapter 7. Sedentary Behavior and Obesity 

Michael L. Power

Role of Fat

Adipose Tissue and Endocrine Function

Mismatch Paradigm

Obesity and Inflammation

Central Versus Peripheral Obesity

Sex Differences in Fat Storage and Mobilization

Vitamin D, Adipose Tissue, and Sedentary Behavior

Obesity Prevalence

Summary

Chapter 8. Sedentary Behavior and Incident Diabetes

Carl J. Caspersen and G. Darlene Thomas

Diabetes Statistics

Key Risk Factors

Epidemiological Diabetes Research

Research Limitations

Six Criteria to Assess a Causal Inference for Sedentary Behavior and Diabetes

Summary

Chapter 9. Sedentary Behavior and Cardiovascular Disease 

Edward Archer, Enrique G. Artero, and Steven N. Blair

Cardiovascular Diseases

Occupational Physical Activity and CVD

Physical Activity and CVD 

Summary

Chapter 10. Sedentary Behavior and Cancer

Brigid M. Lynch and Christine M. Friedenreich

Cancer Epidemiology

Key Risk Factors 

Sedentary Behavior and Cancer Research 

Sedentary Behavior and Cancer Survivorship 

Proposed Biological Mechanisms 

Summary 

Chapter 11. Sedentary Behavior and Low Back Pain

Marco S. Boscolo and Weimo Zhu

Low Back Pain and Its Impact 

Spine Anatomy

Spine Stability

Known Risk Factors of Low Back Pain

Relationship Between Low Back Pain and Sedentary Behavior

Prevention of Low Back Pain 

Summary

Chapter 12. Sedentary behavior and psychological well-being

Stuart J.H. Biddle and Stephan Bandelow

Sedentary Behavior and Depression

Sedentary Behavior and Cognitive Functioning

Sedentary Behavior and Health-Related Quality of Life

Summary

Part III. Measuring and Analyzing Sedentary Behavior 

Chapter 13. Assessing Sedentary Behavior Using Questionnaires

Barbara E. Ainsworth, Alberto Flórez Pregonero, and Fabien Rivière

Key Components of Questionnaires

Measurement Principles of Questionnaires

Practical Guidelines 

Summary

Chapter 14. Assessing Sedentary Behavior Using Motion Sensors

Kong Y. Chen and Richard P. Troiano

Key Components of Motion Sensors

Measurement Principles of Motion Transducers 

Accelerometers 

Practical Guidelines

Potential of Raw Accelerometer Data 

Summary

Chapter 15. Assessing Sedentary Behavior Using Physiological Sensors

David Bassett and Dinesh John

Key Components of Physiological Sensors

Measurement Principles of Physiological Sensors

Practical Guidelines

Summary

Chapter 16. Assessing Sedentary Behavior Using New Technology

Dinesh John and Stephen Intille

Existing Technology for Measuring Sedentary Behavior

Sedentary Behavior Measurement Goals 

Improvements and Emerging Technology for Measuring Sedentary Behavior 

Data Collection, Storage, and Open Source Processing

Summary 

Chapter 17. Critical Measurement and Research Issues in Analyzing Sedentary Behavior

Weimo Zhu

Sedentary Behavior Data Characteristics 

Challenges and Solutions in the Analysis of Sedentary Behavior Data

Summary

Part IV. Sedentary Behavior and Subpopulations 

Chapter 18. Sedentary Behavior in Children

Gregory J. Welk and Youngwon Kim

Measures of Sedentary Behavior in Youth

Health Effects of Sedentary Behavior in Youth

Epidemiology of Sedentary Behavior in Youth

Differences in Sedentary Behavior by Age and Gender

Social and Cultural Differences in Sedentary Behavior in Youth

Correlates of Youth Sedentary Behavior

Patterns of Youth Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior

Intervention Approaches for Sedentary Behavior in Youth

Summary 

Chapter 19. Occupational Sedentary Behavior in Adults

Wendy J. Brown 

Most Sedentary Occupations 

Characteristics of Sitting at Work

Health Effects of Occupational Sitting

Changing Sitting at Work to Improve Health Outcomes

Summary

Chapter 20. Sedentary Behavior of Older Adults

Jorge A. Banda, Sandra J. Winter, and Abby C. King

Measuring Sedentary Behavior in Older Adults

Health and Functional Outcomes of Sedentary Behavior 

Putative Drivers of Sedentary Behavior

Possible Contexts of Sedentary Behavior

Interventions Aimed at Reducing Sedentary Behavior

Summary

Chapter 21. Sedentary Behavior in Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups

Melicia C. Whitt-Glover and Tyrone G. Ceaser

Statistics

Correlates of Sedentary Behavior

Interventions to Reduce Sedentary Behavior in Racial/Ethnic Minorities

Summary

Part V. Changing Sedentary Behavior

Chapter 22. Psychological and Behavior-Based Interventions

Kevin Moran and John P. Elder 

Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior

Social Cognitive Theory

Health Belief Model

Transtheoretical Model

Operant Conditioning, Contingency Management and Positivistic Models

Socioecological Models

Summary

Chapter 23. Environment and Policy Interventions

Jordan A. Carlson and James F. Sallis

Comprehensive Multi-Level Approaches

Evaluating Environment and Policy Interventions

Integrating Environment and Policy Interventions with Other Approaches

Practical Guidelines 

Summary

Chapter 24. Sedentary Behavior and Worksite Interventions

Nicolaas P. Pronk

Characteristics of Worksite Interventions

Applications of Worksite Interventions

Practical Guidelines

Summary

Chapter 25. Community Based Interventions 

Adrian Bauman and Josephine Y. Chau 

Framework for Assessing Sedentary Behavior-Reducing Interventions 

Evaluating Community-Based Interventions 

Practical Guidelines 

Summary

Chapter 26. Ergonomics of Redesigning Sitting

John B. Shea

Characteristics and Impact of Chair Designs and Positional Behaviors

Applications of Sitting Redesign

Practical Guidelines

Summary

Chapter 27. Emerging Communication Systems to Curb Physical Inactivity

Dolores Albarracin, Vera Liao, Jessica Yi, and Cheng Zhai

Determinants of Exposure and Attitude

Determinants of Attitude and Behavior Change

Information Systems

Summary

Epilogue: Where to Go From Here?
Weimo Zhu and Neville Owen

References
Index

Authors

Weimo Zhu, PhD, is currently a tenured full professor in the department of kinesiology and community health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His major area of research is in kinesmetrics (i.e., measurement and evaluation in kinesiology).

Dr. Zhu’s primary research interests are the study and application of new measurement theories (e.g., item response theory) and models to the field of kinesiology. His research works have earned him international recognition. He is the editor in chief of the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport and a fellow of the American Academy of Kinesiology, American College of Sports Medicine, and Research Consortium of SHAPE America. He is a member of the Fitnessgram/Activitygram Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the editorial board for various academic journals and serves on the executive committees of several national and international professional organizations. Dr. Zhu was the chair of the Measurement and Evaluation Council of SHAPE America. Currently, Dr. Zhu is examining the application of advanced measurement and statistical techniques to several measurement issues in public health. A practical application of Zhu’s theoretical work has been in the assessment of physical activity and sedentary behavior, and he is exploring a new idea and technologies to solve the problems raised.

Neville Owen, PhD, is head of the Behavioural Epidemiology Laboratory at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) senior principal research fellow, adjunct professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Queensland, honorary professorial fellow in the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Melbourne, and adjunct professor in medicine at Monash University. He was foundation professor of Human Movement Science and inaugural head of the School of Human Movement at Deakin University (1995-99) and director of the Cancer Prevention Research Centre at the University of Queensland (2002-11). His research deals with the prevention and management of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer through identifying health consequences, environmental determinants, and behavior-change strategies for physical inactivity and sedentary behavior.

Owen has published more than 450 peer-reviewed papers and the book Physical Activity and Behavioral Medicine with James F Sallis. Thomson Reuters (2015) identified him as a highly cited researcher and among the world’s most influential minds in the social sciences. He has been supported by grants from the NHMRC since 1992, including two grants for five-year programs (Physical Activity and Public Health; Sitting Less and Moving More: Population Health Research to Understand and Influence Sedentary Behaviour) and a grant from Centres of Research Excellence (Sitting Time and Chronic Disease Prevention: Measurement, Mechanisms and Interventions).