Movement During Sedentary Time is Associated with Cardio-Metabolic Outcomes

Introduction: Studies have shown that more sedentary time is associated with adverse health effects and increased mortality risk. However, during sedentary time the degree of movement of the upper body can differ between individuals and this could be a relevant aspect of sedentary behavior. Whether movement during sedentary time is meaningful for health outcomes is not clear and therefore this study aims to examine the association between movement during sedentary time and cardio-metabolic health outcomes.

Methods: 631 participants (aged 73-98 years) of the AGESII-Reykjavik Study wore a triaxial accelerometer (ActiGraph GT3X) for 7 consecutive days. Movement during sedentary time was defined as any activity in the anteroposterior and/or mediolateral axes with an intensity >=100 counts per minute (cpm) during sedentary time (<100 cpm in the vertical axis). Cardio-metabolic outcomes included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), levels of HDL-cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides (TG), fasting glucose (FG) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Results: Compared with those who had the most minutes with movements during sedentary time, participants with fewer movement minutes (quartiles 3, 2, 1) had a higher BMI (B= 1.43; B= 1.97; B= 3.38; all p<0.05) and an up to 8.3 cm larger WC (B= 4.66; B= 5.25; B= 8.30; all p<0.05) after adjusting for demographic and health factors, sedentary time, and MVPA. Fewer movement minutes were also associated with lower levels of HDL (Q3 B= -0.11; Q1 B= -0.13; all p<0.05) and higher TG levels (B= 1.10; B= 1.09; B= 1.10; all p<0.05, back transformed from log scale).

Conclusions: Movement during sedentary time was associated with cardio-metabolic outcomes; an up to 3.4 kg/m2 higher BMI and 8.3 cm larger WC was seen in participants with less movement minutes. These findings suggest that movement during sedentary time could be a relevant aspect of sedentary behavior.

EMAIL j.vanderberg@maastrichtuniversity.nl