DETERMINANTS OF SEDENTARY BEHAVIOUR AMONG YOUNG ADULTS IN PORT HARCOURT LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, RIVERS STATE

Sedentary behaviour characterised by prolonged sitting or low energy activities such as screen time has become increasingly common among young adults due to academic, occupational and social demands. This lifestyle is associated with negative health outcomes such as reduced physical fitness, increased risks of obesity and poor mental wellbeing. The study investigated the determinants of sedentary behaviour among young adults in Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Rivers State. A descriptive survey design was adopted for the study and the population comprised of all young adults in Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Rivers State who were resident in the area as at the time of the study. Cochrane formula was used to obtain of sample of 384 and a multistage sampling procedure was used to distribute the sample. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire with 0.774 coefficient of reliability. Descriptive analysis was done using frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The findings showed that 16.9% exhibited very high sedentary behaviour. 50.0% of respondents between 20years and below exhibited high level of sedentary behaviour while 76.0% of those between ages 31years and above exhibited low level of sedentary behaviours. More than half of the respondents (both males and females) exhibited high level sedentary behaviour. 63.3% of those who always succumb to negative peer pressure exhibited high level of sedentary behaviour while more than half of those who were poor as well as those who were in the upper exhibited high level of sedentary behaviour. More than half (63%) of the respondents with good health status exhibited low sedentary behaviour while more than half of those with very poor health status exhibited high sedentary behaviour. Furthermore, it was revealed that age (F= 13.065; p= 0.000), peer pressure (F= 18.140; p= 0.000), socio-economic status (F= 11.352; p= 0.000) and health status (F= 10.356; p= 0.000) were significant determinants of sedentary behaviour among young adults in Port Harcourt Local Government Area, Rivers State. Parents and caregivers should organize family outings that involve physical activities such as hiking, biking, or team sports to encourage their wards participate in a more active lifestyle; in addition, Public Health Workers should run awareness campaigns through social media, television, and community programs to educate youth and their families about the importance of reducing sedentary behaviour and increasing physical activity.