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Physical inactivity could be attributed to the increased interaction of people and technology
The number of European adults who spent more than four and a half hours a day sitting increased by 8 percent between 2002 and 2017, according to research published in the journal BMC Public Health, which also warns that half of those over 65 and the 58% of young people between 18 and 24 years old are "physically inactive."
According to the study, in 2002, the percentage of adults sedentary for more than four and a half hours a day was 49,3%, but in 2017 it reached 54,3%.
By country, where the number of sedentary adults increased the most between 2002 and 2017 was the United Kingdom (22,5%), followed by France (17,8%), Germany (7,4%) and Spain, with 3,9. XNUMX%.
These are the main data from a study carried out by researchers at the Rey Juan Carlos University, Spain, based on the responses of 96.004 adults from the European Union (EU) in several European surveys.
"Spending more than four and a half hours a day sitting increases the risk of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases. Our research indicates that the prevalence of sedentary behavior has increased across Europe, which could have significant implications for the health of all European states "warns Xián Mayo Mauriz, main author of the work.
To examine sedentary behavior in adults, the authors analyzed data collected in 2002, 2005, 2013 and 2017 as part of four special EU Eurobarometer surveys on sport and physical activity.
During the surveys, participants, on average 50 years old, completed a questionnaire that assessed how many hours in a day they spent doing physical activity or sitting.
The researchers found that sedentary lifestyle rates among young and older adults were similar throughout the period studied, although slightly higher among young people.
Thus, they determined that between 2002 and 2017, 55,6% of those over 65 years of age and 58,3% of those over 18 to 24 years of age were "physically inactive."
The age group in which physical inactivity grew the most in 2017 was people aged 35 to 44, with a 15,3% increase in the number of adults sitting for more than four and a half hours per day, which It went from 43,7% to 50,4%.
By sex, 52,2% of men across Europe sat for more than four and a half hours a day, compared to 49,5% of women.
Between 2002 and 2017 the prevalence of sedentary behavior in Great Britain increased by 25,2% for men and 16,5% for women, while in Germany the prevalence increased by 15,6%. % in the case of men but fell 1,2% among women.
The study concludes that the increase in physical inactivity could be attributed to the greater interaction of people and technology such as smartphones or streaming services during work and leisure time.
"Our findings suggest that, in addition to encouraging physical activity, governments should focus on reducing the amount of time people spend sitting each day," concludes researcher Xián Mayo Mauriz.
