Sitting time in Germany: an analysis of socio-demographic and environmental correlates

Abstract

BackgroundSedentary behaviour in general and sitting time in particular is an emerging global health concern. The aim of this study was to provide data on the prevalence of sitting time in German adults and to examine socio-demographic and environmental correlates of sitting time.MethodsA representative sample of German adults (n = 2000; 967 men, 1033 women; 49.3 ±17.6 years of age) filled in the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, including one question on overall sitting time and answered questions about the neighbourhood environment, as well as concerning demographics. Daily sitting time was stratified by gender, age group, BMI, educational and income level, as well as physical activity (PA). To identify socio-demographic and environmental correlates of sitting time, we used a series of linear regressions.ResultsThe overall median was 5 hours (299 minutes) of sitting time/day and men sat longer than women (5 vs. 4 hours/day; p < 0.05). In both genders age and PA were negatively and the educational level positively associated with sitting time. The level of income was not a correlate of sitting time in multivariate analyses. Sitting time was significantly positively associated with higher neighbourhood safety for women. The variance of the multivariate model ranged from 16.5% for men to 8.9% for women.ConclusionsThe overall sitting time was unequally distributed in the German adult population. Our findings suggest implementing specific interventions to reduce sitting time for subgroups such as men, younger aged adults and adults with a higher education and lower PA. Future studies should enhance our understanding of the specific correlates of different types and domains of sitting in order to guide the development of effective public health strategies.

The prevalence and correlates of sitting in European adults - a comparison of 32 Eurobarometer-participating countries

“…These findings are somewhat similar to other studies [28,33,34]. For education, our results and those from the IPS [28], suggest that high levels of education are associated with higher levels of sitting.…”

Comportamento sedentário na cidade de São Paulo: ISA-Capital 2015

“…This study also addressed the environmental aspect, which has been investigated in other countries. Issues such as neighborhood safety and access to recreation areas can work as barriers or facilitators to sedentary behaviour 27 . In this study, as well as in an investigation in Germany 27 , neighborhood safety was positively related to sedentary behavior, as adults who live in safe neighborhoods reported longer TST.…”

Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) – the Polish version

“…Omawiany kwestionariusz był wykorzystywany już w ponad 100 krajach, głównie w ramach programu STEPS. Badania przy pomocy kwestionariusza GPAQ prowadzone były na kontynentach Azji, Afryki i Ameryki [6], oraz wybranych krajach Europy [8,9]. Początkowo kwestionariusz GPAQ został opracowany w sposób umożliwiający przeprowadzanie badania przez wyszkolony personel, techniką wywiadu bezpośredniego, również z respondentami niepiśmiennymi.…”

“…The above-described questionnaire has already been used in over 100 countries, mainly under the STEPS programme. For example, the research involving the GPAQ questionnaire was conducted on the continents of Asia, Africa and America [6], as well as selected European countries [8,9]. Initially, the GPAQ survey was developed in a way that allowed the trained personnel to conduct their study through a direct interview technique, thus including illiterate respondents.…”