Sedentary behaviour and adiposity in youth: a systematic review of reviews and analysis of causality

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Review

Glen Wiesner¹  Stuart J.H. Biddle²  Enrique García Bengoechea³ 

[1] Institute of Sport, Exercise & Active Living, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia;Institute of Sport, Exercise & Active Living, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia;Institute for Resilient Regions, University of Southern Queensland, Education City, 37 Sinnathamby Boulevard, 4300, Springfield Central, QLD, Australia;Institute of Sport, Exercise & Active Living, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia;McGill University, Montreal, Canada;

关键词: Sedentary;    Screen time;    Television;    Children;    Adolescents;    Obesity;    Weight status;    BMI;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12966-017-0497-8

 received in 2017-01-08, accepted in 2017-03-20,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSedentary behaviour (sitting time) has becoming a very popular topic for research and translation since early studies on TV viewing in children in the 1980s. The most studied area for sedentary behaviour health outcomes has been adiposity in young people. However, the literature is replete with inconsistencies.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses to provide a comprehensive analysis of evidence and state-of-the-art synthesis on whether sedentary behaviours are associated with adiposity in young people, and to what extent any association can be considered ‘causal’. Searches yielded 29 systematic reviews of over 450 separate papers. We analysed results by observational (cross-sectional and longitudinal) and intervention designs.ResultsSmall associations were reported for screen time and adiposity from cross-sectional evidence, but associations were less consistent from longitudinal studies. Studies using objective accelerometer measures of sedentary behaviour yielded null associations. Most studies assessed BMI/BMI-z. Interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour produced modest effects for weight status and adiposity. Accounting for effects from sedentary behaviour reduction alone is difficult as many interventions included additional changes in behaviour, such as physical activity and dietary intake. Analysis of causality guided by the classic Bradford Hill criteria concluded that there is no evidence for a causal association between sedentary behaviour and adiposity in youth, although a small dose-response association exists.ConclusionsAssociations between sedentary behaviour and adiposity in children and adolescents are small to very small and there is little to no evidence that this association is causal. This remains a complex field with different exposure and outcome measures and research designs. But claims for ‘clear’ associations between sedentary behaviour and adiposity in youth, and certainly for causality, are premature or misguided.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017