title: Variation in population levels of sedentary time in European adults according to cross-European studies: a systematic literature review within DEDIPAC.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sedentary behaviour is increasingly recognized as a public health risk that needs to be monitored at the population level. Across Europe, there is increasing interest in assessing population levels of sedentary time. This systematic literature review aims to provide an overview of all existing cross-European studies that measure sedentary time in adults, to describe the variation in population levels across these studies and to discuss the impact of assessment methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six literature databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SportDiscus and OpenGrey) were searched, supplemented with backward- and forward tracking and searching authors' and experts' literature databases. Articles were included if they reported on observational studies measuring any form of sedentary time in the general population in two or more European countries. Each record was reviewed, extracted and assessed by two independent researchers, and disagreements were resolved by a third researcher. The review protocol of this review is registered in the PROSPERO database under registration number CRD42014010335.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 9,756 unique articles that were identified in the search, twelve articles were eligible for inclusion in this review, reporting on six individual studies and three Eurobarometer surveys. These studies represented 2 to 29 countries, and 321 to 65,790 participants. Eleven studies focused on total sedentary time, while one studied screen time. The majority of studies used questionnaires to assess sedentary time, while two studies used accelerometers. Total sedentary time was reported most frequently and varied from 150 (median) to 620 (mean) minutes per day across studies and countries.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One third of European countries were not included in any of the studies. Objective measures of European adults are currently limited, and most studies used single-item self-reported questions without assessing sedentary behaviour types or domains. Findings varied substantially between studies, meaning that population levels of sedentary time in European adults are currently unknown. In general, people living in northern Europe countries appear to report more sedentary time than southern Europeans. The findings of this review highlight the need for standardisation of the measurement methods and the added value of cross-European surveillance of sedentary behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, De Boelelaan 1089a, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.loyen@vumc.nl.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Maïté
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verloigne
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.|Physical activity, Nutrition and Health Research Unit, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Linde
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Hecke
authors.affiliation: TNO Expertise Centre Lifestyle, Schipholweg 77-89, 2316 ZL, Leiden, The Netherlands.|Body@Work, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hendriksen
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, De Boelelaan 1089a, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lakerveld
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, PO Box 4014, 0806, Ullevål Stadion, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Jostein
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steene-Johannessen
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, PO BOX 616, 6200MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koster
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physical Activity and Health Research, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, PO Box 4014, 0806, Ullevål Stadion, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ekelund
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.|Physical activity, Nutrition and Health Research Unit, Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Benedicte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deforche
authors.affiliation: Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Bourdeaudhuij
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, De Boelelaan 1089a, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brug
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, VU University Medical Center, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Sydney School of Public Health, The Charles Perkins Centre (D17), University of Sydney, 2006, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Hidde P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: van der Ploeg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005006:Ethnicity; D005060:Europe; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D057185:Sedentary Behavior
keywords: Adults; Assessment methods; Europe; Prevalence; Review; Sedentary behaviour