Assessment of the validity of a sedentary behavior questionnaire among university students from low-income regions

Introduction

Introduction: to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity, lifestyle interventions, particularly in nutritional education programs, should be prioritized among university students. Monitoring sedentary behavior is an important step toward preventing and controlling obesity. Therefore, we assessed the reliability and validity of an online questionnaire on sedentary behavior among university students from low-income regions. Methods: this cross-sectional methodological feasibility study evaluated the psychometric properties of the South American Youth/Child Cardiovascular and Environmental (SAYCARE) questionnaire. We administered this questionnaire in an online format to 195 and 117 university students (aged between 17 and 53 years) to assess its validity and reliability, respectively. The questionnaire measures the daily time spent watching TV, playing electronic games, using a computer, studying and passive commuting on weekdays and weekends. The questionnaire involved two stages (Q1 and Q2) separated by an interval of 2 weeks. Reliability was assessed using Spearman's correlation analysis. The structural validity of the construct was evaluated by exploratory factor analysis. Results: all variables showed acceptable reliability (Spearman's rho > 0.30 and p < 0.05). Regarding construct structural validity, the exploratory factor analysis identified 4 factors (variance explained: 71.4 %) and did not exclude any items. Conclusion: the online SAYCARE questionnaire exhibited acceptable reliability and structural validity for assessing sedentary behavior among university students from low-income regions.

24 h movement behavior and metabolic syndrome study protocol: A prospective cohort study on lifestyle and risk of developing metabolic syndrome in undergraduate students from low-income regions during a pandemic

Introduction

Obesity and its comorbidities are increasingly prevalent in Latin America, with a more rapid growth in individuals with lower income. The composition of movement behaviors within a 24 h period may have important implications for obesity, metabolic and mental health in cross-sectional data. However, a longitudinal study is needed to confirm the findings from the primarily cross-sectional evidence. The COVID-19 pandemic has been associated with cardiometabolic outcomes and has impeded healthy behavior.

Objectives

The first objective is to evaluate the time elapsed since the diagnosis of not meeting 24 h movement guidelines and the potential subsequent onset of metabolic syndrome in undergraduate students from low-income regions within 4 years of follow up. The second objective is to test the association between 24 h movement, mental wellbeing, eating behaviors, and abdominal obesity in the period of this pandemic.

Methods

The 24 h movement behavior and metabolic syndrome (24 h-MESYN) study is a multicentre cohort study that will include participants from two Brazilian cities within the 2022-2025 period to asses the first objective, and also a nested case-control study at the baseline will be carried out to evaluate the second objective. Previously, we conducted a feasibility study in the academic year of 2021 to assessing the psychometric properties of subjective tools, refine our study protocol, and adjust the epidemiological conditions of the cohort's subsequent phases (like as prevalence of exposure of interest, sampling process, and study adherence). Statistical tests as Cohen's kappa agreement; factorial analysis; logistic, Poisson and linear regression; and Kaplan-Meier analysis will be performed, in accordance with the objectives.