Sedentary Behavior and College Students: Why It Matters Now

Zust, Samantha

Sedentary Behavior and College Students: Why It Matters Now

File

Zust__Samantha.pdf (227.56 KB)

Date

2016-04-01

Authors

Zust, Samantha

Organizational Units

Organizational Unit

Kinesiology

The Department of Kinesiology seeks to provide an ample knowledge of physical activity and active living to students both within and outside of the program; by providing knowledge of the role of movement and physical activity throughout the lifespan, it seeks to improve the lives of all members of the community. Its options for students enrolled in the department include: Athletic Training; Community and Public Health; Exercise Sciences; Pre-Health Professions; and Physical Education Teacher Licensure. The Department of Physical Education was founded in 1974 from the merger of the Department of Physical Education for Men and the Department of Physical Education for Women. In 1981 its name changed to the Department of Physical Education and Leisure Studies. In 1993 its name changed to the Department of Health and Human Performance. In 2007 its name changed to the Department of Kinesiology. Dates of Existence: 1974-present. Historical Names: Department of Physical Education (1974-1981), Department of Physical Education and Leisure Studies (1981-1993), Department of Health and Human Performance (1993-2007). Related Units: College of Human Sciences (parent college), College of Education (parent college, 1974 - 2005), Department of Physical Education for Women (predecessor) Department of Physical Education for Men

Series

Honors Projects and Posters

University Honors Program

The Honors project is potentially the most valuable component of an Honors education. Typically Honors students choose to do their projects in their area of study, but some will pick a topic of interest unrelated to their major.

The Honors Program requires that the project be presented at a poster presentation event. Poster presentations are held each semester. Most students present during their senior year, but may do so earlier if their honors project has been completed.

This site presents project descriptions and selected posters for Honors projects completed since the Fall 2015 semester.

Department

Kinesiology

Abstract

A growing body of research demonstrates the accumulation of sedentary behavior and its negative health effects, especially in middle-aged and older adults (Dunstan, Howard, Healy, & Owen, 2012; Owen, Sparling, Healy, Dunstan, & Matthews, 2010; Teychenne, Ball, & Salmon, 2010; Teychenne, Costigan, & Parker, 2015). However, little is known about sedentary time in younger individuals. The primary purpose of this research was to characterize sedentary behavior in college-aged men and women. A secondary purpose was to examine the relationship between sedentary time and physical activity. Participants included full-time students over the age of 18 (N=72). Sedentary behavior was measured by an ActiGraph accelerometer worn during waking hours for one week. On average, subjects spent 72% of the day sedentary (639.76 + 80.09 minutes/day) and accumulated a large portion of this time (72%) on weekdays between 5:00 and 9:00pm. Further, subjects accumulated an average of 52% of their sedentary time in bouts greater than 30 minutes and 25% in bouts greater than 60 minutes. Sedentary time did not differ between individuals who met physical activity recommendations versus those who did not, whereas an inverse correlation was found between sedentary behavior and light intensity activity. Future research should explore the feasibility and outcome of reducing and breaking up sedentary time in this population due to the potential for health benefits.