Sedentary Behavior, But Not Screen Time, Is Associated With Anxiety and Depression in Young Adults.
Faculty Mentor
Katie Taylor, Kristyne Wiegand
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 9:00 AM
End Date
4-14-2026 11:00 AM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Exercise Science
Abstract
Data suggests that 20% of adults will experience major depressive disorder in their lifetime, and 30% will experience an anxiety disorder. Research has explored the beneficial effect of physical activity (PA) on mental health; however, less is known about the role of sedentary behavior (SB). PURPOSE: To determine the differences in anxiety and depression scores across levels of SB and screen time in young adults. METHODS: Participants (n = 97; 24.0 ± 7.4 y; 60.8% female) completed an online survey that assessed depression, anxiety, and SB levels, using previously validated instruments. Screen time was calculated using total time spent watching TV and playing computer/video games. Data were analyzed with one-way independent ANCOVAs with an alpha level set at 0.05. RESULTS: Participants self-reported 8.3 ± 3.7 h/day of SB and 1.7 ± 1.5 h/day of screen time behaviors. 35.1% of participants indicated clinically significant depression scores, while 27.8% had scores indicative of possible anxiety disorder. There were significant differences in anxiety (p= .03) and depression scores (p = .003) across tertiles of SB, independent of time spent in PA. For anxiety, participants in T1 had significantly lower scores (6.0 ± 5.3) compared to T3 (10.3 ±6.6; p = .02). There were no differences in anxiety scores for T2 (8.1 ± 5.8) compared to T1(p = .39) or T3 (p = .36). Similarly, participants in T1 had lower depression scores (9.6 ± 4.7) compared to T3 (14.3 ± 5.6; p = .002) but there were no other differences across tertiles (p > .05). There were no differences in anxiety (p = .10) or depression scores (p = .17) across tertiles of screen time. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that individuals engaging in >9 h/day of SB have higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to those who engage in <6.4 h/day, independent of time spent in PA. However, there were no differences in mental health scores based on engagement in screen time behaviors. These findings suggest that reducing SB may be important for lowering anxiety and depression scores in young adults. Future research should explore the impact of replacing SB with PA and the impact on mental health in young adults.
Recommended Citation
Eltrich, Sophia, "Sedentary Behavior, But Not Screen Time, Is Associated With Anxiety and Depression in Young Adults." (2026). 2026 Symposium. 43.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p1_2026/43
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Sedentary Behavior, But Not Screen Time, Is Associated With Anxiety and Depression in Young Adults.
PUB NCR
Data suggests that 20% of adults will experience major depressive disorder in their lifetime, and 30% will experience an anxiety disorder. Research has explored the beneficial effect of physical activity (PA) on mental health; however, less is known about the role of sedentary behavior (SB). PURPOSE: To determine the differences in anxiety and depression scores across levels of SB and screen time in young adults. METHODS: Participants (n = 97; 24.0 ± 7.4 y; 60.8% female) completed an online survey that assessed depression, anxiety, and SB levels, using previously validated instruments. Screen time was calculated using total time spent watching TV and playing computer/video games. Data were analyzed with one-way independent ANCOVAs with an alpha level set at 0.05. RESULTS: Participants self-reported 8.3 ± 3.7 h/day of SB and 1.7 ± 1.5 h/day of screen time behaviors. 35.1% of participants indicated clinically significant depression scores, while 27.8% had scores indicative of possible anxiety disorder. There were significant differences in anxiety (p= .03) and depression scores (p = .003) across tertiles of SB, independent of time spent in PA. For anxiety, participants in T1 had significantly lower scores (6.0 ± 5.3) compared to T3 (10.3 ±6.6; p = .02). There were no differences in anxiety scores for T2 (8.1 ± 5.8) compared to T1(p = .39) or T3 (p = .36). Similarly, participants in T1 had lower depression scores (9.6 ± 4.7) compared to T3 (14.3 ± 5.6; p = .002) but there were no other differences across tertiles (p > .05). There were no differences in anxiety (p = .10) or depression scores (p = .17) across tertiles of screen time. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that individuals engaging in >9 h/day of SB have higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to those who engage in <6.4 h/day, independent of time spent in PA. However, there were no differences in mental health scores based on engagement in screen time behaviors. These findings suggest that reducing SB may be important for lowering anxiety and depression scores in young adults. Future research should explore the impact of replacing SB with PA and the impact on mental health in young adults.
