Global Study Highlights Environmental and Lifestyle Impact on Adolescent Sedentary Behaviour

New Delhi: A new study titled "Associations of Perceived Neighbourhood and Home Environments with Sedentary Behaviour Among Adolescents in 14 Countries" highlights concerning trends in adolescent sedentary behaviour.

Published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, the research examines how environmental and lifestyle factors influence sedentary behaviour among adolescents aged 11–19 years across different cultural contexts.

Conducted as part of the International Physical Activity and Environment Network (IPEN) Adolescent Study, the research analysed data from 6,302 adolescents and their parents across 14 countries, with India being a significant contributor.

The findings reveal a stark contrast between the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation of two to three hours of sedentary time per day and the global average of 8 to 10 hours.

Activities such as recreational screen time, video gaming, and transport-related sitting were identified as major contributors. Adolescents were found to accumulate an average of 7.8 to 10.5 hours of sedentary time per day. Social media emerged as the most significant factor contributing to sedentary time for both genders.

Recreational screen time averaged 3.8 hours daily, while transport-related sitting time was approximately 40 minutes per day. Home environments, including access to social media accounts, significantly influenced screen time, while neighbourhood features such as land use diversity, traffic safety, and pedestrian infrastructure affected transport-related sitting time. The study also found that the city or country of residence and the adolescent's gender played a crucial role in shaping these associations.

Dr R. M. Anjana, President of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF) and the study’s first author, remarked, “This study is an important step in understanding the global patterns of sedentary behaviour among adolescents. Identifying social media use as a significant factor influencing sedentary time highlights the need for interventions aimed at promoting balanced screen use and encouraging active lifestyles in young people. Parents, policymakers, and technology companies must work together to reduce access to screens, limit social media engagement, and promote more physical activity to help adolescents develop healthier habits and reduce their risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases.”

Dr Ranjani Harish, Senior Scientist and Head of the Department of Preventive and Digital Health Research at MDRF, added, “Both home and neighbourhood environments play a critical role in shaping sedentary behaviour. Urban planning, community safety, and supportive home environments collectively influence how adolescents balance their time between active and sedentary pursuits. These findings call for holistic policies to reduce sedentary time and enhance the overall health of young people worldwide.”

In response to this issue, some countries have already begun implementing measures to address the problem. For instance, Australia recently introduced policies banning social media use for children under 16, aiming to reduce its negative impact on adolescent health and wellbeing.

This study emphasizes the importance of integrating behavioural, environmental, and policy-based approaches to address the increasing sedentary lifestyle among adolescents. As social media emerges as a significant factor, it is essential to foster healthy digital habits and improve community infrastructure to reduce sedentary time and promote healthier lifestyles.