Abstract
Older adults, the fastest growing segment of the population, spend the majority of waking hours in sedentary activities, potentially declining wellbeing. While physical activity (PA) has been shown to positively influence subjective wellbeing (SWB), little is known about the association between sedentary behaviour (SB) and SWB, particularly in older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between SB and SWB in older adults, while controlling for PA. Twenty-nine older individuals (Mage=81) with a range of PA levels (n=15 athletes,n=14 non-athletes) participated in the study. Demographic data (age,sex,marital status,education) and SWB variables (optimism,positive affect,life satisfaction) were collected by self-report questionnaire. The total number of sedentary bouts/breaks per week and daily average time spent in sedentary bouts/breaks and PA were measured by 7-day accelerometry. Partial correlations were conducted to investigate associations between SB and wellbeing, while controlling for PA, group (athlete,non-athlete), and associated demographics. The total number of sedentary bouts/week was moderately associated with optimism (r=-.48) and life satisfaction (r=-.37), and weakly related to positive affect (r=-.17). The daily average time spent in breaks from SB was moderately associated with optimism (r=.36), and weakly linked with positive affect (r=.16). The daily average time spent in bouts of SB was weakly linked to life satisfaction (r=-.17). This study provides preliminary evidence of the relationship between SB and wellbeing, beyond that of PA, among older adults. This new area of research could ultimately inform the development of effective interventions to reduce SB and improve wellbeing in older adults.
