Comparing three screen-based sedentary behaviours’ effect upon adolescents’ participation in physical activity: The ESSENS study

Background: Literature focusing on the association between sedentary behaviours and physical activity has provided equivocal results and has been dominated by TV viewing as the indicator of sedentary behaviour. There is a need for more studies exploring the association between contemporary screen activities and physical activity among youth. Methods: A cross-sectional study including 742 adolescents was conducted in 2016. Data were collected at school through an online questionnaire. Regression analyses were used to explore the association between different screen-based sedentary behaviours and participation in physical activity. Results: The results showed that those with lower (vs higher) time spent on TV/movie streaming and electronic game playing both on weekdays and weekend days had significantly higher odds of participating in physical activity. There were no significant associations between socializing/surfing online both on weekdays and weekend days and physical activity in adjusted models. Conclusions: TV/movie streaming and electronic game playing during both weekdays and weekend days were significantly inversely related with participating in physical activity. Initiatives aimed at reducing screen-based sedentary activities might result in favourable effects on physical activity levels among adolescents.