Abstract
Objectives: The present study aimed to review the guidelines for sedentary behavior in different countries, summarize their contents, characteristics, and the background of their formulation, and obtain essential data to formulate guidelines for sedentary behavior in Japanese adults (including the elderly), children, and adolescents.
Methods: The guidelines for sedentary behavior were selected from four countries and one organization with a significant research track record on physical activity and sedentary behavior. They included Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Results: In adults, “minimizing prolonged sedentary behavior” and “breaking sedentary behavior as frequently as possible” were commonly included in all the sedentary behavior guidelines (with a minor wording difference). In children and adolescents, the sedentary behavior guidelines focused on “limiting leisure-time screen time to 2 hours” and “breaking prolonged sitting.”
Conclusion: When formulating guidelines for sedentary behavior in Japanese adults and children/adolescents, it is important to summarize the effects of sedentary behavior on various health outcomes in other countries and Japan. Furthermore, the need for identifying numerical thresholds and benchmarks in formulating sedentary behavior guidelines in Japanese adults should be further discussed.
