Adolescent sedentary behavior and body composition in early adulthood: results from a cohort study

Background This study investigates the cross-sectional and prospective associations between accelerometer-measured sedentary behavior and body composition from adolescence to early adulthood. Methods Data from the Santiago Longitudinal Study were analyzed ( n = 212). Sedentary time was measured at age 16 years, and body composition (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio [WHtR], fat mass percentage, and lean mass percentage) was examined at both age 16 and 23 years. Adjusted linear regression models estimated associations between sedentary time, sedentary bout duration, and body composition, overall and by sex. Results In all analyses, mean sedentary bout duration was not associated with body composition. In cross-sectional analyses, more sedentary time during adolescence was significantly associated with lower BMI, waist circumference, WHtR, fat mass percentage, and higher lean mass percentage ( p