The first countries to develop comprehensive policy approaches to population based physical activity promotion in the modern sense were Finland and Canada. Other parts of the worlds saw comparable developments in countries or large metropolitan areas towards the end of the 20th century, examples are Australia, São Paulo in Brazil and Japan. The US Surgeon General’s report on Physical Activity and Health of 1996 was a health policy document with important international repercussions. Around the same time, the World Health Organisation (WHO) began to integrate physical activity in its Active Living Strategy and a little later in its Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). In 2004, physical activity featured more prominently in the WHO’s Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. In the 2008-2013 Action Plan to WHO’s NCD strategy, physical inactivity was for the first time explicitly and prominently named as one of the four main NCD risk factors. In 2010, WHO issued the first Global Recommendations for Physical Activity and Health, its role for global public health was confirmed in the 2011 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs. So physical activity is a relatively new concept in international public health. Many institutions can play an important role in physical activity promotion, but for most this is only one of their tasks amongst others. There are a limited number of organisations that focus on physical activity and health alone: the international physical activity promotion networks and the International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH). Agita Mundo, the Global Physical Activity Promotion Network, the four existing regional networks (RAFA/PANA, HEPA Europe, APPAN and AFPAN), ISPAH and its advocacy council GAPA work together not only in the dissemination of tools and information, but also in lobbying for physical activity as an important aspect of public health.

Objective: The present study systematically reviewed the effectiveness and current trend of interventions for reducing sedentary time among adults.

Methods: Studies published from January 2000 to January 2014 were identified by literature searches in international and domestic multiple databases. Terms for “sitting”, “sedentary”, “television”, “screen time” and “intervention” were used. Studies were included if they were conducted for adult population and measured sedentary behavior, its-related variables as primary or secondary outcomes, and published from journal with peer-review. After examining and careful reviewing studies searched, characteristics of studies included (study design, sample, measure of sitting, intervention, and results) were extracted and summarized. Also, methodological quality of the included randomized controlled trial (RCT) was assessed.

Results: Total of 18 studies (pre-post design: n=5, quasi-experimental design: n=6; RCT: n=7) met the inclusion criteria. The score of methodological quality among RCT showed some variability (2-6points/7points). Majority of included studies utilized either one or combinations of environmental intervention, organizational approach, and behavioral theory-based individual/group program at office or home setting. Device-based measurement of sedentary time via accelerometers was used as outcome evaluation in most of studies. Regardless of study designs and intervention components, most studies found the positive effects on reducing sedentary time and its related variables.

Conclusion: The present findings suggest that, to date, the conducted interventions for reducing sedentary time appear to be effective. Some methodological limitations were also found. Thus, further high-quality intervention studies would be required.

Objective: Previous studies have shown that time spent in sedentary behaviors is a risk factor of obesity, independent of lack of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). However, few studies have been conducted to examine relationship between objectively measured time spent in sedentary behaviors and obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of objectively measured sedentary time and obesity in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were completed on 1,401 (female n=849) participants of the baseline survey of the Sasaguri Genkimon Study (SGS), a longitudinal cohort study of community-dwelling older adults aged 65+ who were not certified as requiring nursing care. Sedentary behaviors were defined as activities with intensity ≦1.5 METs (metabolic equivalents). Sedentary time was assessed by a tri-axial accelerometer. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher. Body weight and fat mass was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Results: Sedentary time was positively associated with body weight, fat mass, body fat percentage and obesity in both men and women (p<0.01), and positively associated with BMI in women as well (p<0.01), after adjusting for socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, instrumental activities of daily living, and MVPA.

Conclusion: Prolonged sedentary behaviors were associated with increased risk of obesity and its related indicators in Japanese community-dwelling elderly. Decreasing sedentary behaviors can be an effective strategy for preventing obesity in population approach.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to propose the practical use of a data broadcasting service (that is, the broadcasting of digital television programs) as a tool for engaging in regular exercise and to examine the practicality of such an approach.

Methods: Subjects were six elderly, physically independent women with slight knee pain. We produced a program depicting animated characters performing gymnastic exercises which can ease knee pain, and installed this program on the hard disc recorder of each television in the subjects’ home in order to simulate the delivery of a data broadcasting service. Over a two-month period, the subjects were able to view the program and imitate the movements of the characters.

Results: The subjects’ average gymnastics implementation rate was 86.5±28.4% during the intervention period. Three categories, “improvement in motivation”, “reinforcing”, and “habituation to exercise” appeared as a result of the group interview conducted after the intervention. Subcategories of these major categories such as “ease of use”, “understandability”, “attachment to the characters”, “irritation with the program’s contents”, “perception of effectiveness”, and “effect of monitoring” also seemed noteworthy.

Conclusion: It was suggested that data broadcasting of health education content is might facilitate engaging in regular exercise at home.