title: Interventions with potential to reduce sedentary time in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Time spent in sedentary behaviours (SB) is associated with poor health, irrespective of the level of physical activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of interventions which included SB as an outcome measure in adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirteen databases, including The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus, trial registers and reference lists, were searched for randomised controlled trials until January 2014. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently. Primary outcomes included SB, proxy measures of SB and patterns of accumulation of SB. Secondary outcomes were cardiometabolic health, mental health and body composition. Intervention types were categorised as SB only, physical activity (PA) only, PA and SB or lifestyle interventions (PA/SB and diet).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 8087 records, 51 studies met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of 34/51 studies showed a reduction of 22 min/day in sedentary time in favour of the intervention group (95% CI -35 to -9 min/day, n=5868). Lifestyle interventions reduced SB by 24 min/day (95% CI -41 to -8 min/day, n=3981, moderate quality) and interventions focusing on SB only by 42 min/day (95% CI -79 to -5 min/day, n=62, low quality). There was no evidence of an effect of PA and combined PA/SB interventions on reducing sedentary time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was evidence that it is possible to intervene to reduce SB in adults. Lifestyle and SB only interventions may be promising approaches. More high quality research is needed to determine if SB interventions are sufficient to produce clinically meaningful and sustainable reductions in sedentary time.
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAHRC), Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAHRC), Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fitzsimons
authors.affiliation: Centre for Population Health Sciences, Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jepson
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAHRC), Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hidde P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: van der Ploeg
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports and Health, Faculty of Human Kinetics, Interdisciplinary Centre for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Cindy M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: Physical Activity for Health Research Centre (PAHRC), Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Nanette
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mutrie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Behaviour; Intervention; Physical activity; Review; Sedentary