title: Tracking of Television Viewing Time during Adulthood: The Young Finns Study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the tracking of television viewing (TV) time as an indicator of sedentary behavior among adults for a period of 25 yr.
  
  
  
  A random sample of 1601 subjects (740 men) age 18, 21, and 24 yr participated in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study in 1986. TV time during leisure time was measured with a single self-report question at baseline and in 2001, 2007, and 2011. Tracking of TV time was analyzed using Spearman rank correlations and simplex models. Level and change of TV time were examined using linear growth modeling.
  
  
  
  The 4- and 6-yr integrated TV time stability coefficients, adjusted for measurement errors, were ≥0.60 in adulthood and quite similar for both men and women. The stability coefficients tended to decline as the time interval increased. The stability of the indirect estimation of TV time for a 25-yr period was moderately or highly significant for both genders in most age groups. Younger age, but not gender, was found to be associated with a higher initial level of TV time. Male gender and older age were found to be significantly associated with the slope of TV time.
  
  
  
  The stability of TV time is predominantly moderate to high during adulthood and varies somewhat by age and gender.
authors.affiliation: 1LIKES-Research Center for Sport and Health Sciences, Jyväskylä, FINLAND; 2Institute of Sport, Exercise an Active Living (ISEAL), Victoria University, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA; 3Department of Sport Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, FINLAND; 4Department of Health and Physical Activity, Paavo Nurmi Centre, University of Turku, FINLAND; 5Department of Pediatrics, University of Tampere and Tampere University of Hospital, FINLAND; 6Department of Medicine, University of Turku, and Division of Medicine, Turku University Hospital, FINLAND; and 7Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital, and Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, FINLAND.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kankaanpää
authors.forename: Stuart J H
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Biddle
authors.forename: Mirja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirvensalo
authors.forename: Harri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helajärvi
authors.forename: Jouni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kallio
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hutri-Kähönen
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Telama
authors.forename: Jorma S A
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Viikari
authors.forename: Olli T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Raitakari
authors.forename: Tuija
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tammelin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012737:Sex Factors; D013690:Television; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult