Profiles of sedentary behavior in children and adolescents: the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2006.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence of time spent in sedentary behaviors (e.g., TV/video and computer use) among youth in the US.


METHODS
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-06) provided data to examine sedentary behavior across age groups (2-5, 6-11, and 12-15 years of age), ethnic groups (European [EA], African [AA], and Mexican American [MA]), and body mass index (BMI) categories (normal weight, overweight, obese).


RESULTS
The sample included 8 707 (50.7% boys) children aged 2 to 15 years. Seventy percent of the sample was normal weight, 18.1% was overweight, and 11.5% was obese. The total proportion of young people engaged in TV/video viewing, computer use, and total screen time > or = 2 hours daily was 33.0%, 6.7%, and 47.3%, respectively. More boys (49.4%) than girls (45.0%); older (12-15 years: 56.0%) versus younger children (2-5 years: 35.3% and 6-11 years: 49.1%); AA (66.1%) versus EA (42.5%) and MA (46.1%); obese (58.5%) versus overweight (50.8%) versus normal weight (44.6%); and low and middle income (<$25 K: 51.4% and $25-45 K: 51.2%) versus high income (>$45 K: 42.6%) children spent > or = 2 hours daily in screen time.


CONCLUSIONS
Nearly half (47%) of US children exceed > or = 2 hours/day of time in sedentary behavior. Further, it appears there are gender, age, ethnic, BMI-defined weight status, and income differences in exceeding > or = 2 hours/day in sedentary behavior. These results will be useful in planning targeted interventions at those populations with a higher prevalence of sedentary behavior.
Sisson
Susan B
SB
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Church
Timothy S
TS
Martin
Corby K
CK
Tudor-Locke
Catrine
C
Smith
Steven R
SR
Bouchard
Claude
C
Earnest
Conrad P
CP
Rankinen
Tuomo
T
Newton
Robert L
RL
Katzmarzyk
Peter T
PT
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D001741:Black or African American; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003201:Computers; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013690:Television; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D018910:Video Games; D044465:White People