Abstract
Background: Chronic stress and/or lifetime traumatic stress can create a self-reinforcing cycle of unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating and sedentary behavior, that can lead to further increases in stress. This study examined the relationship between stress and sedentary behavior in a sample of Hispanic/Latino adults (N = 4244) from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study. Methods: Stress was measured as the number of ongoing difficulties lasting 6 months or more and as lifetime exposure to traumatic events. Sedentary behavior was measured by self-report and with accelerometer. Multivariable regression models examined associations of stress measures with time spent in sedentary behaviors adjusting by potential confounders. Results: Those who reported more than one chronic stressor spent, on average, 8 to 10 additional minutes per day in objectively measured sedentary activities (P < .05), whereas those with more than one lifetime traumatic stressor spent (after we adjusted for confounders) 10 to 14 additional minutes in sedentary activities (P < .01) compared with those who did not report any stressors. Statistical interactions between the 2 stress measures and age or sex were not significant. Conclusion: Interventions aimed at reducing sedentary behaviors might consider incorporating stress reduction into their approaches.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 310-317 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Physical Activity and Health |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 2016 |
Keywords
- Accelerometer
- Chronic stress
- Gender
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
- Epidemiology
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine