Recently the media has been reporting on the importance of reducing 'sitting time' or sedentary time. Perhaps
in no other segment of the Canadian population is the emerging field of
sedentary behaviour more consequential than for older adults. Even when adults meet
physical activity guidelines, sitting for prolonged periods (i.e. sedentary
behaviour) can compromise health (Owen et al., Mayo Clin Proc.
2010 Dec;85:1138-41). The literature is
more established in identifying that an inactive way of life increases the risk
of numerous chronic diseases and decreases life-expectancy, however sedentary
behaviour is emerging as a potentially important independent construct in the relationship
between inactivity and health. Sedentary behaviour – a
distinctly different concept that physical inactivity – refers to any waking activity characterized
by an energy expenditure ≤ 1.5 metabolic equivalents and a sitting or reclining
posture. While it is apparent
that older adults in Canada can benefit significantly from being physically
active, current statistics suggest that despite the many benefits, older adults
are largely inactive and sedentary. Sedentary behaviours
include television viewing, computer and game console use, workplace sitting,
and time spent in automobiles. In terms of screen time, the most commonly
studied mode in adults is television viewing and computer use. According to the 2007 Canadian Community
Health Survey (CCHS), Canadian older adults are the age group with the greatest
mean hours per day spent viewing television, with 47% of adults 65 to 74 years
viewing 15 or more hours per week and 52% of adults 75 years and older viewing
15 or more hours per week. While
computer screen time is currently lowest in the older adult population (at
11.2% and 6% for the 65 to 74 year and 75+ year age-groups reporting 11 or more
hours per week, respectively), computer screen time use by older adults can be
expected to increase as the population ages and more frequent users enter into
older age. Clearly, if sedentary
behaviour is related to health outcomes, the older adult population is at high
risk. As older adults have a high volume of sedentary behaviour, the additive
potential negative effect of sedentary behaviours is critical to elucidate in
the older adult population. Beyond the influence
on health and functional mobility in older adults, sedentary behaviour and
physical inactivity may influence overall successful aging from mid-life to
older age. CCAA Researchers Liza Stathokostas and Acadia University researcher
Shilpa Dogra studied the association
between sedentary behaviour and successful aging and their results were
recently published in the Journal of Aging Research. Using the Healthy Aging cycle of the Canadian
Community Health Survey with a sample of 9,478 older adults, the influence of
sedentary behaviour on the physical,
psychological and sociological components of successful aging
were studied. The study showed that sedentary behaviour is associated with successful aging such that those who spend less time in
sedentary activities are more likely to age successfully, regardless of their
physical activity levels. Specifically, among older adults, compared to those who were sedentary for 4 hours or more a day- those who were minimally sedentary (less than 2 hours per day) were 43% more likely to age successfully. The study results also suggest older adults need to keep their sedentary behaviour to less
than 2 hours per day to age successfully. To read the original research article, click
here. To learn more about sedentary behaviour, check out the Sedentary
Behaviour Research Network. For tips on how to increase physical activity, click here:The Dangers of Sitting
Submitted by Dr. Liza Stathokostas, CCAA Researcher
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Don Paterson
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519.661.1606
dpaterso@uwo.ca
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