Cross-sectional study finds high self-reported sedentary time at UK university

Postgraduate students at the University of Sunderland reported substantial sedentary time during the previous day in a cross-sectional observational study. Among the 135 students who completed an online questionnaire, 128, or 94.8%, reported at least eight hours of sedentary time within a 24-hour period. Mean total sedentary time across respondents was 14.54 hours per 24 hours.

Studying, reading, computer use and watching television were the most common sedentary behaviours, together accounting for 8.67 hours of sedentary time per 24 hours. The findings describe inactivity reported by one group of students at one UK university; they do not establish how sedentary time changes over time or what causes it. The researchers used the validated Past-day Adults’ Sedentary Time–University questionnaire, or PAST-U, to assess postgraduate students’ sedentary behaviour.

The instrument asked respondents about activities during the past day, making the results a retrospective snapshot of self-reported activity rather than a continuous record. Eligible students were reached through word of mouth and social media campaigns and invited to complete the questionnaire online. The researchers exported the responses to Microsoft Excel and analysed them using IBM SPSS version 26.

Their conceptual approach was based on the Socio-Ecological Model, which they used to organise the study, interpret the findings and formulate recommendations for future research. Of 258 questionnaires distributed, 135 were completed, producing a response rate of 52.3%. The analysis compared self-reported sedentary time and behaviour with selected sociodemographic variables and programme of study.

The analysis did not show a statistically significant difference in sedentary time and behaviour across the sociodemographic variables or programmes examined. This finding means that significant differences were not detected in those comparisons, not that all groups necessarily had identical sedentary behaviour. Most of the measured inactivity involved activities performed while sitting.

Studying, reading, using a computer and watching television together represented 8.67 of the 14.54 hours of mean total sedentary time reported per 24 hours. The questionnaire results therefore show that sitting was the dominant feature of the reported pattern, while the remaining total included other sedentary behaviours captured by the instrument. These are group-level summaries based on the day each respondent recalled when completing the survey, rather than measurements of every student’s routine throughout a week, term or academic year.

Reliance on self-report and retrospective recall also means that the figures are subject to the limitations of the questionnaire method. The study’s cross-sectional design cannot determine whether postgraduate study produces high sedentary time or whether particular academic, social, environmental or policy conditions contribute to it. Likewise, although the researchers call for longitudinal and intervention studies to investigate causal factors and ways of reducing sedentary behaviour, the questionnaire did not test an intervention or track changes in individuals over time.

It also did not establish the health consequences of the reported inactivity for participants. The clearest result is therefore descriptive: this sample of University of Sunderland postgraduate students reported high levels of sedentary time during the past day, mainly through sitting activities, while the analysis found no significant differences across the sociodemographic variables and programmes evaluated. The study identifies a topic for further research rather than demonstrating that any particular programme or policy would reduce sedentary behaviour.

Subject of Research: Self-reported sedentary behaviour among postgraduate students at the University of Sunderland

Article Title: Self-reported sedentary behaviour among postgraduate students at a UK university: a cross-sectional study

Article References: Brown, N., Karanam, K., Geo Raj, B., Ihedike, C., & Mdegela, M. (2026). Self-reported sedentary behaviour among postgraduate students at a UK university: a cross-sectional study. Discover Social Science and Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44155-026-00501-8

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s44155-026-00501-8

Keywords: sedentary behaviour, postgraduate students, University of Sunderland, cross-sectional study, self-reported activity, PAST-U questionnaire, sitting time, non-parametric statistics, Socio-Ecological Model, Self-reported, sedentary, behaviour