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Worldwide surveillance of self-reported sitting time: a scoping review
Open accessAbstract
Background: Prolonged sitting time is a risk factor for chronic disease, yet recent global surveillance is not well described. The aims were to clarify: (i) the countries that have collected country-level data on self-reported sitting time; (ii) the single-item tools used to collect these data; and (iii) the duration of sitting time reported across low- to high-income countries. Methods: Country-level data collected within the last 10 years using single-item self-report were included. The six-stage methodology: (1) reviewing Global Observatory for Physical Activity! Country Cards; (2–4) country-specific searches of PubMed, the Demographic and Health Survey website and Google; (5) analysing the Eurobarometer 88.4; and (6) country-specific searches for World Health Organization STEPwise reports. Results: A total of 7641 records were identified and screened for eligibility. Sixty-two countries (29%) reported sitting time representing 47% of the global adult population. The majority of data were from high-income (61%) and middle income (29%) countries. The tools used were the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ; n = 34), a modified IPAQ (n = 1) or the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ; n = 27). The median of mean daily sitting times was 4.7 (IQR: 3.5–5.1) hours across all countries. Higher-income countries recorded a longer duration of sitting time than lower-income countries (4.9 vs 2.7 h). Conclusions: This study provides an updated collation of countries collecting self-reported sitting time data. The daily sitting time findings should be interpreted cautiously. Current surveillance of sitting time is limited by a lack of coverage. Measures of population sitting time that are valid, feasible and sensitive to change should be embedded within global surveillance systems, to help guide future policy, research and practice. Trial registration: Not applicable.
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“There is inconsistent and insufficient monitoring of other behaviours included in the physical activity guidelines (muscle strengthening, balance activities [for older adults aged ≥65 years], and sedentary time2) to produce global estimates and targets.5, 6”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Mclaughlin, M., Atkin, A. J., Starr, L., Hall, A., Wolfenden, L., Sutherland, R., Wiggers, J., Ramirez, A., Hallal, P., Pratt, M., Lynch, B. M., Wijndaele, K., on behalf of the Sedentary Behaviour Council Global Monitoring Initiative Working Group, Adli, S., Gardiner, P. A., Doyle, C. B., Meadows, A., Mabry, R. M., Pregonero, A. F., Sadarangani, K. P., Hadgraft, N. T., Boyle, T., Farias, N. A., Mair, J. L., Hafoka, S. F., Mielke, G. I., Lin, S. K. P., McLeod, V. R., Ranasinghe, C., Storning, P. C., Dohrn, I.-M., Müller-Riemenschnieder, F., Al Subhi, L., Yee, A. C. H., Gad, M., Marques, A., & Kontostoli, E.
- Affiliations
- Hunter Medical Research Institute (AU)
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- University of Warwick (GB)
- Universidad de Los Andes (CO)
- University of California San Diego (US)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- University of Cambridge (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Mclaughlin, M.
- ORCID
- Mclaughlin, M.
- Atkin, A. J.
- Starr, L.
- Hall, A.
- Wolfenden, L.
- Sutherland, R.
- Wiggers, J.
- Ramirez, A.
- Hallal, P.
- Pratt, M.
- Lynch, B. M.
- Wijndaele, K.
- Gardiner, Paul A.
- Doyle, Ciaran B.
- Meadows, Angela
- Mabry, Ruth M.
- Pregonero, Alberto Florez
- Sadarangani, Kabir P.
- Hadgraft, Nyssa T.
- Boyle, Terry
- Farias, Nicolas Aguilar
- Mair, Jacqueline L.
- Hafoka, Siosaia F.
- Mielke, Gregore Iven
- Lin, Selina Khoo Phaik
- McLeod, Vienna R.
- Ranasinghe, Chathuranga
- Dohrn, Ing-Mari
- Müller-Riemenschnieder, Falk
- Al Subhi, Lyutha
- Yee, Anne Chu Hin
- Gad, Mayuri
- Marques, Adilson
- Kontostoli, Elli
- Venue
- International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Published
- 2020-09-03
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 111-111
- ISSN
- 1479-5868 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7469304
- OpenAlex
- W3081855355
- Cited by
- 117
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 11 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 28 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 2.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (acceptedVersion)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- UniSA Research Outputs Repository (University of South Australia) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- NOVA (University of Newcastle Australia) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Apollo (cc-by)
- Apollo
- Funders
- Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015, MC_UU_12015/3)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Human Factors and Ergonomics › Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation › Musculoskeletal pain and rehabilitation
- Keywords
- sitting time, sedentary behavior, global surveillance, country-level data, single-item questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, income level, low- and middle-income countries, physical activity surveillance
- MeSH terms
- Sitting Position, Female, Humans, Income, Male, Poverty, Surveys and Questionnaires, Time Factors, Global Health, Exercise, Sedentary Behavior, Self Report
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