Hábitos sedentarios en adolescentes escolarizados de Cantabria (Sedentary habits among adolescent students of Cantabria)

TThe increased time spent in sedentary activities has been associated in recent years with the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence. In this paper we study the sedentary habits of adolescents enrolled in public education centers of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria, who participated in he project «School-based Promotion of Healthy Habits in Adolescents» held in 2011. Participants 1,101 adolescents aged between 10 and 17 years, enrolled in 16 centers. All participants completed a questionnaire about their lifestyle habits. Over 85% of participants met the recommendations of television viewing on school days, however this percentage decreases during weekends. This activity is higher in boys, during the weekend, and lower in the age group 10-11years. Regarding the use of the computer, game console, Internet and entertainment, we found differences both in terms of sex, age and day of the week. The time spent in sedentary activities increases with age and during the weekend. There is also a different pattern of sedentary habits between sexes. We need to know these lifestyle differences to design effective interventions for promoting