Levels of sedentary lifestyle in Colombian university population through the SIT-Q-7d-S questionnaire

Abstract

Introduction. Sedentary lifestyle is a public health problem, as it is a risk factor for eight of the ten leading causes of death in the world. Assessing sedentary lifestyle levels with optimal instruments becomes essential for its correct diagnosis and intervention. Aim. To evaluate the levels of sedentary lifestyle in the Colombian university population through the Sit Q7d-S questionnaire and to determine its level of reliability. Methodology. A quantitative study was conducted, using a test re-test type application, with a sample of 304 people with a 5% maximum error and 95% confidence. The sample size included 103 men (33.9%) and 201 women (66.1%), who are students at a Colombian university located in four different cities (Cali, Neiva, Popayan, and Medellin). Results. The evaluated population is sedentary, as they have behaviors that indicate they spend more than two hours of time in seated positions, increasing the risk of suffering from chronic non-communicable diseases. A Cronbach's alpha of 0.64 was obtained for all the items of the SIT-Q-7d-S questionnaire, showing moderately acceptable values for the use of the questionnaire. Conclusion. The SIT-Q-7d-S questionnaire is an instrument with low to moderate reliability to assess levels of sedentary lifestyle in the university population. Likewise, it is evident that the levels of inactivity in the Colombian university population indicate that it is a sedentary population. This is related to the fact that they spend more than two hours on screen time and spend between one, two or more than three hours doing their job in a sitting position.