Factors associated with sedentary behavior among ELSA-Brasil participants: ecological model

Abstract

The main objective was to identify the prevalence and factors associated with sedentary behavior (SB). The study comprising a total of 13,765 individuals of both sexes participating in the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) assessed in the second wave (2012-2014). e SB was measured using questions related to sitting time during the week and weekend. e associated factors were assessed by face-to-face interviews, with blocks of questionnaires and anthropometric measurements. A hierarchical ecological model was built with all possible factors associated with SB: sociodemographic environment (age and level of education; economic status); behavioral environment (leisure time physical activity, commuting physical activity, beer consumption, current smoking); and biological environment (overweight, obesity and abdominal obesity). Crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using logistic regression. Among men and women, higher education, current smoking and abdominal obesity were positively associated with SB, while being over 51 years old and being physically active were negatively associated with SB. The proposed ecological model explains the SB through the sociodemographic, behavioral and biological environment.