This study aimed to assess sitting time and number of steps taken each day, and the relationships between these variables, in a sample of working Australian adults. Workers (N = 185) wore a pedometer for 7 days and recorded the number of steps taken and time spent sitting each day. Average time spent sitting on weekdays was 9.4 (SD = 2.40) hr, with about half spent sitting at work. Despite this, the average steps taken each day (M = 8,873, SD = 2,757) was higher on weekdays than on weekend days. There was a clear inverse relationship between sitting time at work and number of steps taken on weekdays, r = -.34, p < .001); those in the highest tertile for sitting time reported about 3,000 fewer daily steps. Workers in managerial and professional occupations reported more time sitting at work (M = 6.2 hr per day) and lower weekday step counts (M = 7,883, N = 43) than technical (M = 3.3 hr sitting at work and 10,731 weekday steps, N = 33) and blue collar workers (M = 1.6 hours sitting and 11,784 steps, N = 11). The findings suggest those whose daily work involves long hours of sitting should be the focus of efforts to promote physical activity both within and outside the workplace.

BACKGROUND: Increasing levels of physical inactivity and sedentariness are contributing to the current overweight and obesity epidemic. In this paper, the findings of two recent studies are used to explore the relationships between sitting time (in transport, work and leisure), physical activity and body mass index (BMI) in two contrasting samples of adult Australians. METHODS: Data on sitting time, physical activity, BMI and a number of demographic characteristics were compared for participants in two studiesF529 women who were participants in a preschool health promotion project ('mothers'), and 185 men and women who were involved in a workplace pedometer study ('workers'). Relationships between age, number of children, physical activity, sitting time, BMI, gender and work patterns were explored. Logistic regression was used to predict the likelihood of being overweight or obese, among participants with different physical activity, sitting time and work patterns. RESULTS: The total reported time spent sitting per day (across all domains) was almost 6 h less among the mothers than the workers (Po0.001), and compared with the mothers, a significantly greater proportion of the workers was classified as overweight or obese (BMI Z25 kg/m 2 ). Univariate analysis found that, compared with men in full-time work, women who worked full-time (OR ¼ 0.42, CI: 0.24-0.74), part-time (OR ¼ 0.35, CI: 0.20-0.59) or in full-time home duties (OR ¼ 0.51, CI: 0.29-0.88) were about half as likely to be overweight or obese. Participants who reported high daily levels of sitting (Z7.4 h) were also significantly more likely than those who reported 'low' levels (o4.7 h/day) to be overweight or obese (OR ¼ 1.68, CI: 1.16-2.42). Multivariate analysis (including physical activity, work patterns and sitting time) confirmed that full-time and parttime working women (but not 'home duties' women) were less likely to report BMI Z25 kg/m 2 than full-time working men (fulltime: OR ¼ 0.44, CI: 0.25-0.78; part-time: OR ¼ 0.45, CI: 0.24-0.86), but the OR for BMI Z25 among those in the high sitting category was attenuated (OR ¼ 1.61, CI 0.96-2.71). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest a need for inclusion of measures of both activity and inactivity in future studies, so that the complex relationships between these behavioural determinants of BMI can be clarified.

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Suggestions are provided for accounting for non-ambulatory activities in interventions which rely on step count measures.

The so-called pygmy chimpanzee from the left o r south bank of the Congo River was first described by Schwarz in 1929. It was later studied in more detail by Coolidge ('33), who elevated it to the rank of a distinct species, Pun paniscus.Ile reported a number of external and skeletal features, exclusive of size, in which puniscus differs from the ordinary chimpanzees that occur north of the Congo, and he agreed with Schwarz that it is " a dwarf with many youthful characteristics. " Schultz ( '50) added two additional cranial characters in which the pygmy chimpanzee is different from those found north of the Congo, and in which it more nearly resembles man. Beyond these studies, Pan paniscus is a little known species, and its anatomy has not been described in detail. The present study deals with the skeletal musculature. The specimen used was obtained from the collection of Dr. A. H. Schultz. The following description of the intact animal is taken from Dr. Schultz's notes.The subject is a juvenile female with complete primary dentition and few palatal ridges. It is of small body build with a small head and face. The body is covered with long coarse black hair except on the face, palms and soles, and under the chin. There are tufts of hair on the pinna of the ear and a few white hairs around the anus. The skin is putty gray in color. Between the second and third toes a web of skin extends as far as the second phalanges. Trunk height is 292 mm ; weight is 8.62 kg.