From 2001 to 2016, the estimated prevalence of watching television or videos for at least two hours/day remained high and stable, while the prevalence of computer use increased, according to a study published on the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Lin Yang, Ph.D., from Alberta Health Services in Calgary, Canada, and colleagues examined patterns and temporal trends in sedentary behaviors using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2001 to 2016 for 51,896 individuals: 10,359 children, 9,639 adolescents, and 31,898 adults.
The researchers found that among all ages, the estimated prevalence of sitting and watching television or videos for two hours/day or more was high (62, 59, and 65 percent for children, adolescents, and adults, respectively). The trends decreased among children from 2001 to 2016 (difference, −3.4 percent), were stable for adolescents and adults aged 20 to 64 years (difference, −0.7 percent), and increased for adults aged 65 years or older (difference, 3.5 percent). In all age groups, the estimated prevalence of computer use outside school or work for one hour/day or more increased. The total hours/day of sitting time increased among adolescents and adults from 2007 to 2016.
"The substantial rise in total sitting time among adolescents and adults appears to be attributable to sedentary behaviors other than television or video watching, which was likely driven in part by the observed increases in computer use," the authors write.
