Do Sedentary Behaviors Modify the Health Status of Older Adults?

Abstract

Evidence suggests sedentary behavior (SB) negatively impacts the health of adults but less is known about SB impact on older adult (OA) health.  Seventy OA (73.4±6years) living in the southeast region of Wisconsin, United States of America (USA) completed three SB diaries and had risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) assessed. Sedentary behaviors were quantified as time spent in sitting/lying activities. Pearson correlation coefficients, independent samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA were performed to explore the relationship between SB and health. Older adults engaged in 620.3±91.2mins/d of SB with television watching (144.3±99.8mins/d) being the most prominent. Total SB and television watching were correlated to multiple risk factors for CVD (r=-.241-.415, p=.009-.027) and these variables worsened as OA spent more time in those activities. Television watching was the only SB that increased across risk categories of CVD [F (2,67) =4.158, p=.020, eta squared=.11]. These results suggest SB, especially television watching to be related to risk factors of CVD in OA.