title: Associations between television viewing time and overall sitting time with the metabolic syndrome in older men and women: the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine associations between self-reported television (TV) viewing time and overall sitting time with the metabolic syndrome and its components.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based sample of older men and women living in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand nine hundred fifty-eight participants from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study (aged ≥ 60, mean age 69, 54% women).
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reported television viewing time and overall sitting time were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the revised International Diabetes Federation criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with those in the lowest quartile, the odds ratios (ORs) of the metabolic syndrome in the highest quartile of television viewing time were 1.42 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.93-2.15) for men and 1.42 (95% CI=1.01-2.01) for women and in the highest quartile of overall sitting time were 1.57 (95% CI=1.02-2.41) for men and 1.56 (95% CI=1.09-2.24) for women. Television viewing time was associated with lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and glucose intolerance in women. Overall sitting time was detrimentally associated with greater risk of high triglyceride levels in men and women, abdominal obesity in women, and low HDL-C levels in men. All models were adjusted for age, education, physical activity, self-rated health, employment, diet, smoking, and alcohol intake and for hormone replacement therapy and estrogen use in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  For older adults, high levels of sedentary behavior were associated with greater prevalence of the metabolic syndrome; reducing prolonged overall sitting time may be a feasible way to improve metabolic health.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention Research Centre, School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. p.gardiner@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.forename: Genevieve N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Healy
authors.forename: Elizabeth G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Eakin
authors.forename: Bronwyn K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Dunstan
authors.forename: Jonathan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Paul Z
authors.initials: PZ
authors.lastname: Zimmet
authors.forename: Neville
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Owen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013690:Television; D013997:Time Factors