Projected changes in sitting and physical activity among midlife and older men and women in Finland

Abstract Aim Population-based projections of sitting and physical activity (PA) help to guide PA programs. We aimed to project total and context specific sitting and PA until year 2028 in adults aged 46–74 years in Finland. Subject and methods The population based DILGOM Study in 2007 and 2014 provided longitudinal data on self-reported weekday sitting in five contexts (work, vehicle, at home in front of TV, at home by computer, elsewhere), total sitting, and PA in three domains (occupational, commuting and leisure time). Projections until 2028 were generated using a Markovian multistate model and multiple imputation techniques by gender, age and education. Results Total weekday sitting was projected to increase until 2028 only in the 64–74-year-olds and the low educated (+ 24 and + 32 min/day, p < 0.05, respectively). Sitting at home by computer was projected to increase on average 30 min/weekday ( p < 0.05) and occupational PA decrease by 8 to 20%-units ( p < 0.05) in all midlife and older adults. Further, sitting at home by TV and sitting elsewhere were projected to decrease in many, although not all groups. Conclusion Projected changes suggest increase in sitting by computer and decrease in occupational PA, which indicate the growing importance of leisure-time as the potential mean to increase PA.