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Is Television Viewing Time a Marker of a Broader Pattern of Sedentary Behavior?

  • Rapid Communications
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Television (TV) viewing time is associated with abnormal glucose metabolism, the metabolic syndrome, and risk of type 2 diabetes; associations are stronger and more consistent in women. One explanation of this difference may be that TV viewing is a marker of an overall pattern of sedentary behavior in women.

Purpose

We sought to examine associations of TV viewing time with other sedentary behaviors and with leisure-time physical activity in a large sample of Australian adults.

Methods

Adults aged between 20 and 65 years (n = 2,046) completed a self-administered questionnaire on TV viewing, five other leisure-time sedentary behaviors, and leisure-time physical activity. Mean adjusted time spent in other sedentary behaviors and in physical activity was compared across TV-time categories previously shown to be associated with abnormal glucose metabolism.

Results

After adjustment for body mass index and socio-demographic variables, women’s time spent watching TV was associated positively with time in other sedentary behaviors and negatively with leisure-time physical activity, but no such associations were observed in men.

Conclusions

TV viewing time may be a robust marker of a sedentary lifestyle in women but not in men. Gender differences in the pattern of sedentary behaviors may explain at least in part the gender differences in the previously reported associations of TV viewing time with biological attributes related to type 2 diabetes.

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Acknowledgments

The study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grant #213114 and NHMRC Program Grant #301200. Sugiyama is supported by an NHMRC Capacity Building Grant in Population Health #252799. Healy is supported by Queensland Government Growing the Smart State PhD funding and an Australian Postgraduate Award. Dunstan and Salmon are supported by Public Health Research Fellowships from the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Prevention Research Centre, School of Population Health, The University of Queensland, Level 3, Public Health Building, Brisbane, Queensland, 4006, Australia

    Takemi Sugiyama Ph.D., Genevieve N. Healy M.P.H. & Neville Owen Ph.D.

  2. International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    David W. Dunstan Ph.D.

  3. Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia

    Jo Salmon Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Takemi Sugiyama Ph.D.
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  2. Genevieve N. Healy M.P.H.
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  3. David W. Dunstan Ph.D.
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  4. Jo Salmon Ph.D.
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  5. Neville Owen Ph.D.
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Takemi Sugiyama Ph.D..

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Sugiyama, T., Healy, G.N., Dunstan, D.W. et al. Is Television Viewing Time a Marker of a Broader Pattern of Sedentary Behavior?. ann. behav. med. 35, 245–250 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-008-9017-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-008-9017-z

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