Protocol for a Study Investigating Context-Specific Sedentary Behaviors and Cardiometabolic Health in College-Based Young Adults (CONTEXT-SB)

TL;DR

This study will investigate how specific sedentary behaviors in college students affect their heart and metabolic health over time.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel approach to identify context-specific sedentary behaviors linked to cardiometabolic risk in young adults.

Findings

Certain context-specific sedentary behaviors may have stronger associations with cardiometabolic risk than total sedentary behavior.

Socioecological factors at multiple levels are expected to predict context-specific sedentary behaviors.

The study will provide evidence to develop multi-level interventions to reduce sedentary behavior and cardiometabolic risk in young adults.

Abstract

Sedentary behavior (SB) is detrimental to cardiometabolic disease (CMD) risk, which can begin in young adulthood. To devise effective SB-CMD interventions in young adults, it is important to understand which context-specific sedentary behaviors (CS-SB) are most detrimental for CMD risk, the lifestyle behaviors that co-exist with CS-SBs, and the socioecological predictors of CS-SB.

This longitudinal observational study will recruit 500 college-aged (18–24 years) individuals. Two laboratory visits will occur, spaced 12 months apart, where a composite CMD risk score (e.g., arterial stiffness, metabolic and inflammatory biomarkers, heart rate variability, and body composition) will be calculated, and questionnaires to measure lifestyle behaviors and different levels of the socioecological model will be administered. After each visit, total SB (activPAL) and CS-SB (television, transportation, academic/ occupational, leisure computer, “other”; ecological momentary assessment) will be measured across seven days.

It is hypothesized that certain CS-SB will show stronger associations with CMD risk, compared to T-SB, even after accounting for coexisting lifestyle behaviors. It is expected that a range of intra-individual, inter-individual, and physical environment socioecological factors will predict CS-SB. The findings from this study will support the development of an evidence-based, multi-level intervention to target SB reduction and mitigate CMD risk in CBYA.

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