Skip to main content

Table 1 Descriptive statistics presented separately for each of the four surveys

From: Biological, socio-demographic, work and lifestyle determinants of sitting in young adult women: a prospective cohort study

  2000 2003 2006 2009 2000 2003 2006 2009 2000 2003 2006 2009
  N = 9284 N = 8788 N = 8831 N = 7872 Mean (sd) sitting time hours/week-day Mean (sd) sitting time hours/weekend-day
Overall sitting time      6.5 (3.3) 6.5 (3.3) 6.4 (3.4) 6.2 (3.3) 5.5 (2.8) 5.5 (2.8) 5.2 (2.7) 5.0 (2.7)
Sitting >7 hours/day (%)      39   41   39   36   23   23   19   17  
Age (mean (sd)) 24.6 (1.5) 27.6 (1.5) 30.6 (1.5) 33.7 (1.5)                 
Biological factor                     
BMI (mean (sd)) 23.8 (4.9) 24.6 (5.4) 25.2 (5.6) 25.8 (5.8)                 
Socio-demographic factors                     
Country of birth (%)a                     
Australian born* 92 92 92 93 6.5 (3.2) 6.5 (3.3) 6.4 (3.3) 6.2 (3.3) 5.5 (2.8) 5.5 (2.8) 5.2 (2.7) 5.0 (2.7)
Other English speaking country 4 4 4 4 6.6 (3.3) 6.7 (3.4) 6.5 (3.3) 6.0 (3.2) 5.6 (2.9) 5.3 (2.9) 5.3 (2.8) 4.7 (2.4)
Europe 1 1 1 1 7.1 (3.2) 7.1 (3.1) 7.3 (3.3) 6.8 (3.7) 5.1 (3.0) 5.1 (3.0) 5.8 (2.9) 4.8 (2.8)
Asia 2 2 2 2 7.9 (3.5) 8.1 (3.2) 7.8 (3.4) 7.9 (3.1) 7.0 (3.6) 6.1 (3.3) 6.3 (3.4) 5.5 (2.8)
Other 1 1 1 1 6.9 (3.3) 7.1 (3.2) 7.1 (3.4) 5.4 (3.0) 5.7 (2.5) 4.5 (2.8) 5.7 (2.9) 5.1 (3.0)
Area of residence (%)a                     
Urban* 55 58 60 59 6.9 (3.3) 7.1 (3.3) 6.9 (3.4) 6.6 (3.4) 5.5 (2.8) 5.5 (2.8) 5.3 (2.7) 5.0 (2.7)
Rural 41 38 35 35 6.1 (3.1) 5.9 (3.1) 5.7 (3.1) 5.6 (3.0) 5.4 (2.8) 5.5 (2.8) 5.1 (2.7) 4.8 (2.7)
Remote 4 4 4 4 5.9 (3.0) 5.7 (3.2) 5.2 (2.8) 5.5 (2.8) 5.6 (2.9) 5.7 (2.9) 5.0 (2.5) 4.8 (2.7)
Educational qualification (%)a                     
Less than 12 years of school 10 10 8 7 5.6 (3.1) 5.5 (3.1) 5.3 (2.9) 5.3 (3.0) 5.5 (2.8) 5.7 (2.9) 5.2 (2.8) 5.0 (2.8)
Completed 12 years of school 23 19 16 14 6.6 (3.2) 6.2 (3.2) 6.0 (3.3) 5.9 (3.2) 5.7 (2.9) 5.6 (3.0) 5.2 (2.7) 5.0 (2.8)
Post school/technical school 24 25 27 26 6.4 (3.2) 6.5 (3.3) 6.2 (3.3) 6.1 (3.3) 5.5 (2.9) 5.7 (2.9) 5.2 (2.7) 5.1 (2.9)
University degree/higher degree* 39 44 48 52 6.9 (3.2) 7.0 (3.3) 6.8 (3.4) 6.5 (3.3) 5.4 (2.7) 5.4 (2.6) 5.2 (2.7) 4.9 (2.5)
Marital status (%)a                     
Single* 53 35 23 17 6.8 (3.3) 7.1 (3.4) 7.3 (3.4) 7.6 (3.5) 5.7 (2.9) 5.8 (3.0) 5.8 (2.9) 5.8 (2.9)
De facto 21 20 19 15 6.7 (3.2) 6.8 (3.3) 6.7 (3.3) 6.8 (3.3) 5.5 (2.8) 5.4 (2.7) 5.4 (2.7) 5.2 (2.7)
Married 24 41 54 62 6.0 (3.2) 6.0 (3.2) 5.9 (3.2) 5.7 (3.1) 5.1 (2.6) 5.3 (2.6) 4.9 (2.5) 4.7 (2.5)
Separated/divorced/widowed 2 4 4 6 6.0 (2.9) 6.3 (3.3) 6.3 (3.3) 6.4 (3.3) 5.0 (2.9) 5.8 (3.3) 5.6 (3.1) 5.1 (2.9)
Number of children (%)a                     
None* 80 64 51 37 6.8 (3.3) 7.2 (3.3) 7.5 (3.3) 7.7 (3.3) 5.6 (2.8) 5.6 (2.9) 5.6 (2.8) 5.6 (2.8)
1 11 16 20 19 5.5 (2.8) 5.5 (2.9) 5.8 (3.0) 6.1 (3.0) 5.3 (2.7) 5.4 (2.8) 5.1 (2.6) 5.1 (2.7)
2 7 12 19 29 5.1 (2.7) 5.1 (2.7) 5.1 (2.9) 5.2 (2.9) 5.0 (2.7) 5.2 (2.6) 4.7 (2.4) 4.4 (2.4)
≥3 2 5 9 15 4.9 (3.0) 4.7 (2.8) 4.5 (2.6) 4.7 (2.6) 5.3 (2.8) 5.1 (2.7) 4.5 (2.5) 4.3 (2.5)
Work-related factors                     
Occupational status (%)a                     
No paid job 9 19 19 20 5.4 (2.8) 5.4 (2.8) 5.0 (2.8) 4.8 (2.7) 5.5 (2.8) 5.5 (2.7) 5.0 (2.6) 4.7 (2.5)
Blue collar 7 7 6 5 4.8 (2.8) 4.8 (2.9) 4.7 (2.8) 5.0 (3.2) 5.6 (2.8) 5.6 (2.9) 5.1 (2.9) 5.0 (2.7)
White collar 33 29 27 23 7.0 (3.3) 7.1 (3.3) 6.8 (3.4) 6.7 (3.3) 5.6 (2.9) 5.7 (3.0) 5.4 (2.8) 5.2 (2.9)
Professional* 45 44 47 49 6.7 (3.2) 7.0 (3.4) 7.0 (3.4) 6.7 (3.3) 5.4 (2.8) 5.4 (2.7) 5.3 (2.7) 5.0 (2.6)
Hours worked per week (%)a                     
None 15 17 18 20 5.9 (3.0) 5.5 (2.8) 5.0 (2.7) 5.0 (2.8) 5.7 (2.9) 5.5 (2.7) 5.0 (2.6) 4.8 (2.6)
1-15 10 11 11 13 6.3 (3.0) 5.7 (2.8) 4.9 (2.9) 4.7 (2.5) 5.7 (2.8) 5.3 (2.6) 4.8 (2.6) 4.5 (2.5)
16-24 8 8 10 13 6.1 (2.9) 5.7 (3.0) 5.5 (3.0) 5.3 (2.9) 5.5 (2.9) 5.4 (2.7) 4.9 (2.6) 4.6 (2.5)
25-34 9 8 9 10 5.7 (2.9) 5.8 (3.1) 5.8 (3.1) 6.1 (3.1) 5.5 (2.9) 5.3 (2.8) 5.0 (2.5) 5.0 (2.7)
35-40* 28 25 24 20 6.8 (3.2) 7.2 (3.3) 7.3 (3.2) 7.5 (3.2) 5.5 (2.8) 5.7 (3.0) 5.5 (2.7) 5.4 (2.8)
41-48 19 19 16 14 7.1 (3.4) 7.4 (3.4) 7.7 (3.3) 7.8 (3.3) 5.4 (2.7) 5.5 (2.8) 5.5 (2.8) 5.3 (2.7)
≥49 12 12 11 10 6.8 (3.5) 7.4 (3.7) 7.5 (3.7) 7.4 (3.7) 5.3 (2.9) 5.5 (2.8) 5.5 (2.9) 5.0 (2.8)
Lifestyle factors                     
Physical activity (%)a                     
Active 55 55 49 46 6.4 (3.2) 6.6 (3.3) 6.4 (3.3) 6.3 (3.3) 5.3 (2.7) 5.4 (2.7) 5.1 (2.6) 4.9 (2.6)
Inactive* 44 44 49 51 6.7 (3.3) 6.6 (3.3) 6.4 (3.4) 6.2 (3.3) 5.7 (2.9) 5.7 (2.9) 5.3 (2.8) 5.0 (2.7)
Smoking status (%)a                     
Non smoker* 57 57 58 60 6.6 (3.2) 6.7 (3.3) 6.5 (3.3) 6.3 (3.3) 5.4 (2.7) 5.5 (2.8) 5.2 (2.7) 4.9 (2.6)
Ex-smoker 14 19 22 26 6.3 (3.1) 6.5 (3.2) 6.2 (3.3) 6.1 (3.3) 5.3 (2.8) 5.4 (2.7) 5.1 (2.7) 4.9 (2.7)
Current smoker 28 24 19 14 6.5 (3.4) 6.3 (3.3) 6.5 (3.5) 6.2 (3.3) 5.7 (3.0) 5.7 (2.9) 5.5 (2.9) 5.2 (3.0)
Alcohol consumption (%)a                     
Non drinker 9 8 10 12 6.3 (3.1) 6.1 (3.4) 5.8 (3.3) 5.8 (3.2) 5.7 (2.8) 5.7 (3.0) 5.2 (2.7) 5.1 (2.9)
Rare drinker 29 27 25 24 6.3 (3.2) 6.2 (3.2) 6.0 (3.2) 6.0 (3.2) 5.6 (2.9) 5.7 (2.9) 5.3 (2.8) 5.1 (2.7)
Low risk drinker* 58 61 60 60 6.7 (3.2) 6.7 (3.3) 6.6 (3.4) 6.3 (3.3) 5.4 (2.7) 5.4 (2.7) 5.1 (2.6) 4.9 (2.6)
Risky/high risk drinker 4 4 4 4 6.7 (3.3) 7.1 (3.1) 7.0 (3.6) 6.6 (3.6) 5.9 (3.1) 6.0 (3.0) 6.0 (3.1) 5.3 (3.0)
Stress (%)a                     
Being not stressed* 50 54 56 51 6.2 (3.2) 6.4 (3.3) 6.2 (3.3) 6.0 (3.2) 5.3 (2.7) 5.4 (2.7) 5.0 (2.6) 4.8 (2.6)
Being somewhat stressed 50 46 44 49 6.9 (3.3) 6.8 (3.3) 6.7 (3.4) 6.5 (3.3) 5.7 (2.9) 5.7 (2.9) 5.5 (2.9) 5.1 (2.7)
  1. BMI, body mass index; aDue to rounding and missing data, not all percentages of the categorical independent variables add up to 100%.
  2. *These categories are used as reference categories in the GEE analyses.
Back to article page

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

ISSN: 1479-5868

Contact us