Abstract
A sedentary lifestyle is associated with adverse health outcomes; however, the predictors of sedentary behaviours have not been sufficiently explored to inform the development of effective interventions to reduce sedentary behaviours. An emerging hypothesis is that psychological factors contribute to the development of sedentary behaviours. In the current study, we examined if young adults' reports of symptoms of depression could predict their weekly time spent in sedentary behaviours (television viewing and computer use) 4 years later. We measured self-reported symptoms of depression at age 20 (SD = .7) years, and television viewing and computer use at age 24 (SD = .7) years in 761 young adults (45.2% males) participating in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens study. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multivariate regression analysis, with separate models for men and women. After controlling for possible confounding factors (age, parental education, respective sedentary behaviour at age 20 years), elevated symptoms of depression at age 20 years predicted elevated computer use 4 years later in men (R2 = .22, β = .13, p < .01), but not in women. Symptoms of depression did not predict television viewing. Our results highlight the need to distinguish between types of sedentary behaviours as their predictors may differ. Further, they provide support for the hypothesis that psychological factors, in this case symptoms of depression, may relate to the development of select sedentary behaviours in young men. Identifying the mechanisms by which symptoms of depression influence computer use is important to inform the design of effective interventions.Acknowledgments: Financial support for the Nicotine Dependence in Teens study was provided by the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC), with funds from the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS).