title: Sedentary behavior in a cohort of 8- to 10-year-old children at elevated risk of obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Sedentary behavior (SB) is distinct from physical inactivity. Children's guidelines recommend ≤2h/day screen time and ≥60min/day moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This study describes SB in children at elevated risk of obesity, including the possibility of high SB in otherwise active children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 534 children from Quebec, Canada, aged 8-10years with ≥1 obese parent in 2005-2008. SB and MVPA were measured by accelerometer and specific SBs by self-report, and height and weight were directly measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overweight/obese children were significantly more sedentary overall and reported higher screen time than normal weight children. About 19% of boys and 46% of girls met screen time but not PA guidelines; 28% of boys and 5% of girls met PA but not screen time guidelines. About 46% of overweight/obese children met neither guideline (32% normal weight); only 5% overweight/obese children met both (21% normal weight). Reported behaviors contributed 60%-80% of total SB time; the most sedentary children had the most unaccounted for SB time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overweight/obese children are more sedentary overall and report higher screen time than normal weight children. Public health efforts targeting PA and SB in children must consider sex and weight status while being cognizant that being sufficiently active is not exclusive of high levels of SB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H2W 1S4 Canada. Electronic address: katya.herman@uregina.ca.
authors.forename: Katya M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Herman
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 2W6 Canada. Electronic address: catherine.sabiston@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Sabiston
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 3J7, and CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1C5 Canada. Electronic address: me.mathieu@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Marie-Eve
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Mathieu
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, G1V 0A6 Canada. Electronic address: angelo.tremblay@kin.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1A2 Canada. Electronic address: gilles.paradis@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paradis
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003201:Computers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D057566:Self Report; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D018910:Video Games / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Exercise; Physical activity; Screen time; Television; Weight status