A major international study into the physical activity, or lack of it, amongst teenagers paints an alarming picture of their likely health in adulthood.
For good health, youth should spend no more than two to three hours per day being sedentary yet the study found the worldwide average of time being sedentary was eight to 10, roughly four times the amount recommended.
Most of this time was spent watching TV, using electronic devices, playing video games and riding in motorised vehicles.
Simply having a personal social media account was linked with higher total sedentary time in both males and females.
Researchers analyzed accelerometer data from 3982 adolescents aged 11 to 19 and survey measures of sedentary behaviour from 6302 participants in the International Physical Activity and the Environment Network (IPEN) Adolescent Study, which covered 15 geographically and culturally diverse countries across six continents.
The study, led by Professor James F Sallis, was published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity.
“These findings are concerning, as excessive sedentary behaviour has been linked to a range of health problems, including obesity, diabetes and mental health issues,” Professor Sallis says.
“Although there is great concern about negative effects of social media on youth mental health, this study documents a pathway for social media to harm physical health as well,” says Sallis, a professorial fellow at the Australian Catholic University.
The study also reported that environmental factors such as parkland access, walkable neighbourhoods, crime, and traffic safety influenced the amount of sedentary behaviour among teens. Adolescents from neighbourhoods that encouraged outdoor activity reported less screen time.
The study is further evidence that active transport needs to be built into every suburb and town if we are to avert a sedentary diseases crisis in the next generation.