Increased time in sedentary behaviour was significantly associated with higher levels of C Reactive Protein and LDL Cholesterol , and a larger newborn abdominal circumference .
Discrepancies were found in associations of sedentary behaviour with gestational weight gain , hypertensive disorders , and birth weight .
No consistent associations were found between sedentary behaviour and other variables such as gestational diabetes .
Conclusions Our review highlights the significant time spent in sedentary behaviour during pregnancy , and that sedentary behaviour may impact on pregnancy outcomes for both mother and child .
Background In the general population , at least 50 % of time awake is spent in sedentary behaviours .
Sedentary behaviours are activities that expend less energy than 1.5 metabolic equivalents , such as sitting .
The amount of time spent in sedentary behaviours is a risk factor for diseases such as type 2 diabetes , cardiovascular disease , and death from all causes .
Even individuals meeting physical activity guidelines are at a higher risk of premature death and adverse metabolic outcomes if they sit for extended intervals .
The associations between sedentary behaviour with type 2 diabetes and with impaired glucose tolerance are stronger for women than for men .
It is not known whether sedentary behaviour in pregnancy influences pregnancy outcomes , but if those negative outcomes observed in general adult population also occur in pregnancy , this could have implication s for adverse outcomes for mothers and offspring .
We aim ed to determine the proportion of time spent in sedentary behaviours among pregnant women , and the association of sedentary behaviour with pregnancy outcomes in mothers and offspring .
Television watching and other sedentary behaviors in relation to risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in women.
CONTEXT Current public health campaigns to reduce obesity and type 2 diabetes have largely focused on increasing exercise , but have paid little attention to the reduction of sedentary behaviors . OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between various sedentary behaviors , especially prolonged television ( TV ) watching , and risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in women . DESIGN , SETTING , AND PARTICIPANTS Prospect i ve cohort study conducted from 1992 to 1998 among women from 11 states in the Nurses ' Health Study . The obesity analysis included 50 277 women who had a body mass index ( BMI ) of less than 30 and were free from diagnosed cardiovascular disease , diabetes , or cancer and completed questions on physical activity and sedentary behaviors at baseline . The diabetes analysis included 68 497 women who at baseline were free from diagnosed diabetes mellitus , cardiovascular disease , or cancer . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Onset of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus . RESULTS During 6 years of follow-up , 3757 ( 7.5 % ) of 50 277 women who had a BMI of less than 30 in 1992 became obese ( BMI > or = 30 ) . Overall , we documented 1515 new cases of type 2 diabetes .  Time spent watching TV was positively associated with risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes . In the multivariate analyses adjusting for age , smoking , exercise levels , dietary factors , and other covariates , each 2-h/d increment in TV watching was associated with a 23 % ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] , 17%-30 % ) increase in obesity and a 14 % ( 95 % CI , 5%-23 % ) increase in risk of diabetes ; each 2-h/d increment in sitting at work was associated with a 5 % ( 95 % CI , 0%-10 % ) increase in obesity and a 7 % ( 95 % CI , 0%-16 % ) increase in diabetes . In contrast , st and ing or walking around at home ( 2 h/d ) was associated with a 9 % ( 95 % CI , 6%-12 % ) reduction in obesity and a 12 % ( 95 % CI , 7%-16 % ) reduction in diabetes . Each 1 hour per day of brisk walking was associated with a 24 % ( 95 % CI , 19%-29 % ) reduction in obesity and a 34 % ( 95 % CI , 27%-41 % ) reduction in diabetes . We estimated that in our cohort , 30 % ( 95 % CI , 24%-36 % ) of new cases of obesity and 43 % ( 95 % CI , 32%-52 % ) of new cases of diabetes could be prevented by adopting a relatively active lifestyle ( < 10 h/wk of TV watching and > or = 30 min/d of brisk walking ) . CONCLUSIONS Independent of exercise levels , sedentary behaviors , especially TV watching , were associated with significantly elevated risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes , whereas even light to moderate activity was associated with substantially lower risk . This study emphasizes the importance of reducing prolonged TV watching and other sedentary behaviors for preventing obesity and diabetes
Increased time in sedentary behaviour was significantly associated with higher levels of C Reactive Protein and LDL Cholesterol , and a larger newborn abdominal circumference .
Discrepancies were found in associations of sedentary behaviour with gestational weight gain , hypertensive disorders , and birth weight .
No consistent associations were found between sedentary behaviour and other variables such as gestational diabetes .
Conclusions Our review highlights the significant time spent in sedentary behaviour during pregnancy , and that sedentary behaviour may impact on pregnancy outcomes for both mother and child .
Background In the general population , at least 50 % of time awake is spent in sedentary behaviours .
Sedentary behaviours are activities that expend less energy than 1.5 metabolic equivalents , such as sitting .
The amount of time spent in sedentary behaviours is a risk factor for diseases such as type 2 diabetes , cardiovascular disease , and death from all causes .
Even individuals meeting physical activity guidelines are at a higher risk of premature death and adverse metabolic outcomes if they sit for extended intervals .
The associations between sedentary behaviour with type 2 diabetes and with impaired glucose tolerance are stronger for women than for men .
It is not known whether sedentary behaviour in pregnancy influences pregnancy outcomes , but if those negative outcomes observed in general adult population also occur in pregnancy , this could have implication s for adverse outcomes for mothers and offspring .
We aim ed to determine the proportion of time spent in sedentary behaviours among pregnant women , and the association of sedentary behaviour with pregnancy outcomes in mothers and offspring .