_01.jpg)
_02.jpg)
Researchers say new technology better able to gauge health outcome of inactivity
December 11, 2008
Russ Pate
An article by Arnold School researchers on the health ramifications of sedentary behavior is one of the Top 10 Public Health Articles of 2008 according to Medscape, a leading medical web site.
Medscape editors singled out "The Evolving Definition of 'Sedentary,’ “written by Dr. Russ Pate, professor in the Department of Exercise Science, and EXEC doctoral candidates Jennifer R. O'Neill and Felipe Lobelo.
The article appeared on the Medscape website on Oct. 17 after it appeared earlier in Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, a peer-reviewed quarterly publication of the American College of Sports Medicine.
The Arnold School article notes that for centuries scholars have associated sedentary behavior with reduced longevity and impaired health.
“However, most studies have not measured sedentary behavior or differentiated it from light activity. It seems reasonable, therefore, to ask whether studies to date actually have examined the health implications of sedentary behavior or if they simply have defined sedentary as the absence of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity,” the article postulates.
The article cited several examples where researchers drew conclusions about the health effects of sedentary behavior but did not actually measure sedentary behavior.
The authors wrote that physical activities can now be closely measured by the use of accelerometers, electromagnetic devices that can sense and measure movements.
“Recent advances in accelerometry have made possible the measurement of the full range of physical activity levels, from completely sedentary to extremely vigorous, with a single instrument.
“Thus, accelerometry is emerging as a valuable tool for exploring the independent associations of various activity levels with health outcomes.
Felipe Lobelo
Jennifer ONeill
“Future studies should measure sedentary and light activity to determine their independent and joint contributions to health outcomes,” the authors reported.
Scientists are now using accelerometers in a wide array of research. Arnold School scientist Dr. Steven P. Hooker is using the devices in a stroke and cognitive decline study in cooperation with the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Recognition of the Medscape article was the latest kudo for Pate, who also is USC’s vice provost for health sciences. He was recognized earlier this year by the American Dietetic Association and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Additionally he testified in July before the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee.
Both of Pate’s research colleagues are working on their dissertations for doctorates from the Department of Exercise Science.
O’Neal has bachelor’s degrees in dance and kinesiology from Shenandoah University and an MPH in exercise science from USC. Her dissertation focuses on physical activity in adolescent female dancers.
Lobelo has a medical degree and a specialization in epidemiology from the Universidad del Rosario Medical School in Bogata, Colombia. He currently is an Epidemic Intelligence Service Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
Medscape, a part of WebMD Health Professional Network, is a web resource for physicians and other health professionals.
It features peer-reviewed original medical journal articles, continuing medical education, a customized version of the National Library of Medicine's MEDLINE database, daily medical news, major conference coverage, and drug information—including a drug database and drug interaction checker.
All content in Medscape is available free of charge for professionals and consumers alike, but registration is required.
- To access the “The Evolving Definition of 'Sedentary’“ article go to: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/581617?src=top10
