Sedentary behaviour in Australian University students: The contribution of study-related sedentary behaviour to total sedentary behaviour

• Published in: Health promotion journal of Australia 2024-10, Vol.35 (4), p.1045-1052
• Main Authors: Sutherland, Casey A., Cole, Rachel L., Kynn, Mary, Gray, Marion A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitudes; Behavior; College students; Colleges & universities; Cross-sectional studies; Evaluation; Exercise; Families & family life; Health; Health behavior; Health promotion; Health risks; Information services; International cooperation; Intervention; Living arrangements; Planning; Public health; Screen time; Sedentary; Sedentary behavior; sitting; Social aspects; Sociodemographics; Students; Time; Time use; University students
• ISSN: 1036-1073; 2201-1617
• DOI: 10.1002/hpja.829

Issue Addressed: Seated activities are attributed to increased sedentary behaviour (SB) and adverse health effects, but little is currently known about university students' SB, particularly study-related SB. This study describes the sociodemographic variations of domain-specific SB in regional Australian university students and the contribution of study-related SB to total SB. Methods: Self-reported daily SBs from a cross-sectional survey of 451 students were used. Domain-specific and total SB were described within sub-groups, and differences examined using independent t-tests. Multinomial regression was used to examine the association of tertiles of duration in study-related SB with total and other domain-specific SBs. Results: Study participants were a median age of 21 (19-25 years), mostly female (76%) and represented different years of study. On average, students spent 882 +- 292 min/day in total SB, with most SB occurring in the study, screen time and 'other activity' domains. No sociodemographic variations were found in total SB, but significantly higher study-related SB were reported by students studying full time (p