Sedentary behaviors, leisure-time physical inactivity, and chronic diseases in Brazilian workers: a cross sectional study

• Published in: Journal of physical activity & health 2014-11, Vol.11 (8), p.1622-1634
• Main Authors: Garcia, Leandro Martin Totaro, da Silva, Kelly Samara, Del Duca, Giovâni F, da Costa, Filipe Ferreira, Nahas, Markus Vinicius
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Behavior; Body Mass Index; Brazil - epidemiology; Chronic Disease - epidemiology; Chronic illnesses; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology; Exercise; Female; Health Behavior; Health risk assessment; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia - epidemiology; Hypertension - epidemiology; Leisure Activities; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Obesity - epidemiology; Occupational Health; Risk Factors; Sedentary behavior; Sedentary Lifestyle; Surveys and Questionnaires; Television - utilization; Transportation; Work
• ISSN: 1543-3080; 1543-5474
• DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2012-0423

Our purpose was to examine the association of television viewing (hours/day), sedentary work (predominantly sitting at work), passive transportation to work (car or motorcycle), and the clustering of these behaviors ("sedentary lifestyle"), as well as leisure-time physical inactivity (LTPI), with chronic diseases (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and clustering of chronic diseases) in Brazilian workers. Cross-sectional study conducted from 2006 to 2008 in 24 Brazilian federal units (n = 47,477). A questionnaire was applied. Descriptive statistics, binary and multinomial logistic regressions were used. Magnitude of association with chronic diseases varied greatly across domains and gender. Sedentariness at work was the most consistent behavior associated with chronic diseases, especially in men (OR hypertension = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01-1.20; OR hypercholesterolemia = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.21-1.48; OR obesity = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.15-1.41; OR1 chronic disease = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.09-1.26; OR ≥ 2 chronic diseases = 1.61, 95% CI: 1.46-1.78) compared with women (OR hypercholesterolemia = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01-1.31; OR obesity = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.04-1.48). LTPI was associated with all diseases in men (except type 2 diabetes), but only with obesity in women. Adverse health consequences may be differently associated according to behavior domain and gender. Sedentary work and LTPI were consistently associated with chronic disease in Brazilian workers, especially in men.