Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Sep;22(9):e13263.
doi: 10.1111/obr.13263. Epub 2021 Jun 3.

Age-related change in sedentary behavior during childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Elli Kontostoli  1 , Andy P Jones  2 , Natalie Pearson  3 , Louise Foley  4 , Stuart J H Biddle  5 , Andrew J Atkin  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Age-related change in sedentary behavior during childhood and adolescence: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Elli Kontostoli et al. Obes Rev. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Sedentary behaviors are highly prevalent in youth and may be associated with markers of physical and mental health. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantify the age-related change in sedentary behavior during childhood and adolescence. Ten electronic databases were searched. Inclusion criteria specified longitudinal observational studies or control group from an intervention; participants aged ≥5 and ≤18 years; a quantitative estimate of the duration of SB; and English language, peer-reviewed publication. Meta-analyses summarized weighted mean differences (WMD) in device-assessed sedentary time and questionnaire-assessed screen-behaviors over 1-, 2-, 3-, or more than 4-year follow-up. Effect modification was explored using meta-regression. Eighty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Device-assessed sedentary time increased by (WMD 95% confidence interval [CI]) 27.9 (23.2, 32.7), 61.0 (50.7, 71.4), 63.7 (53.3, 74.0), and 140.7 (105.1, 176.4) min/day over 1-, 2-, 3-, and more than 4-year follow-up. We observed no effect modification by gender, baseline age, study location, attrition, or quality. Questionnaire-assessed time spent playing video games, computer use, and a composite measure of sedentary behavior increased over follow-up duration. Evidence is consistent in showing an age-related increase in various forms of sedentary behavior; evidence pertaining to variability across socio-demographic subgroups and contemporary sedentary behaviors are avenues for future research.

Keywords: adolescents; change; children; sedentary behavior; systematic review.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Carson V, Hunter S, Kuzik N, et al. Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in school-aged children and youth: an update. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016;41(3):240-265. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2015-0630
    1. Tremblay MS, LeBlanc AG, Kho ME, et al. Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in school-aged children and youth. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2011;8(1):98. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-8-98
    1. Mitchell JA, Byun W. Sedentary Behavior and Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2013;8(3):173-199. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827613498700
    1. Hoare E, Milton K, Foster C, Allender S. The associations between sedentary behaviour and mental health among adolescents: A systematic review. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2016;13(1):108. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-016-0432-4
    1. Vancampfort D, Stubbs B, Firth J, van Damme T, Koyanagi A. Sedentary behavior and depressive symptoms among 67,077 adolescents aged 12-15years from 30 low- and middle-income countries. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2018;15(1):1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-018-0708-y

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources