JNSS 2015, 6(3-4):114-122 | DOI: 10.32725/jnss.2015.012

Sedentary life in the context of educational attainment

Lukáš Martinek^1,*, Valérie Tóthová¹, Marek Zeman²

¹ University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

² University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, Department of Clinical and Preclinical Disciplines, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

The article deals with the issue of sitting and sedentary lifestyles as a social problem of the healthy adult population of the Czech Republic in relation to the education achieved. The research sample consisted of 1,122 respondents, 544 men (48.5%) and 578 women (51.5%). The data were collected using a standardized questionnaire, IPAQ, which mapped physical activity in the last week. More than 41.3% of the respondents sit for more than 6 hours in a work week. Similarly, on weekends 39.4% of the respondents sit for more than six hours. People with a basic education spend the most time sitting on weekdays. 78% of respondents with a basic education spend four hours or more sitting on weekdays. Surprisingly, those with a university education show the largest decline in the hours spent sitting at the weekends (compared to weekdays).
Prolonged sitting and sedentary lifestyle is a threat people should be warned about, because it is responsible for a series of pathologies of the human musculoskeletal system and predisposes excessive weight and obesity. The comparison of our results with similar studies points to a problem not only in the Czech Republic, but also in other economically developed societies.
It is necessary to apply the knowledge of a sedentary lifestyle in primary prevention and carry it consistently into practice.

Keywords: sedentary lifestyle; physical inactivity; time spent sitting; primary prevention; healthy adult population

Grants and funding:

The paper is part of research grant project no. 120/2012 / S, which is implemented with the financial support of the Grant Agency of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice.

Received: May 12, 2015; Accepted: October 5, 2015; Published: September 1, 2015  Show citation