Patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior in normal-weight, overweight and obese adults, as measured with a portable armband device and an electronic diary

Abstract

Accurate data on domain-specific physical activity and sedentary behavior among normal-weight, overweight and obese adults are scarce. This study described a comprehensive physical (in)activity profile and examined variations in activity across the week. Physical activity was measured in 442 Flemish adults (41.4 ± 9.8 years) for 7 days using the SenseWear Armband and an electronic diary. Differences in (in)activity between BMI subgroups were examined using one-way analyses of variance. Physical activity level decreased with increasing BMI in men (1.77-1.46 MET) and women (1.67-1.31 MET). Sedentary time was higher in obese than normal-weight men (+1.09 h/day) and overweight and obese than normal-weight women (+1.04 and +1.88 h/day). Total hours of moderate-to-vigorous activity and bouts of moderate-to-vigorous activity were lower in overweight and obese than normal-weight subjects. The average duration of a sedentary bout and the number of breaks in sedentary time were only different between female BMI groups. The intensity of domain-specific activities decreased with increasing BMI. Activity patterns across the week differed between subgroups, with the difference most pronounced on Saturday for the male BMI groups. This study described activity patterns among normal-weight, overweight and obese adults. The results should be used to design obesity prevention strategies.