Prevalence And Sociodemographic Correlates Of Adults’ “Couch Potatoes” And “Weekend Warriors”

Abstract

PURPOSE: In addition to the dose-response relationship of physical activity (PA), its combination with other activities and distribution over time is related to health outcomes. Identifying the prevalence and correlates of the combination and pattern of behaviors may maximize the beneficial effects of PA interventions.This study aimed to assess the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of the combination of behaviors and behavioral pattern among a sample of middle-aged adults in Japan. METHODS: PA and sedentary behavior (SB) were assessed in participants aged 40-64 years living in two localities in Japan who wore an accelerometer in 2013-2015. The combination of behaviors of 684 participants were categorized as 'Couch Potato' (low PA and high SB), 'Light Mover' (low PA and low SB), 'Sedentary Exerciser' (high PA and high SB), 'Busy Bee' (high PA and low SB). The behavioral pattern of 591 participants was categorized as 'Inactive', 'Weekend Warrior', or 'Regularly Active'. RESULTS: For the combination of behaviors, 'Couch potato' and 'Busy bee' were around one-third each, and 'Light mover' and 'Sedentary Exerciser' were around one-fourth each. Regarding behavioral patterns, 13% and 36% of participants were 'Weekend Warriors' and 'Regularly Active', respectively. Multinomial regression analysis showed that sociodemographic attributes were differently associated with the combinations of behaviors and behavioral pattern. For instance, women (OR: 2.62, 95% CI: 1.43-4.78; OR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.19-3.14) and married participants (OR: 3.72, 95% CI: 1.63-8.47; OR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.08-3.89) were more often 'Light Movers' and 'Busy Bees', while women (OR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.28-0.86) were less likely to be 'Sedentary Exercisers'. Higher educational attainment (OR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.46-0.98) was associated with being Regularly Active, while gender and age were not significantly associated with activity patterns. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified the prevalence of distinct category groups on the combinations of behaviors and behavioral pattern, which could potentially target behavioral intervention. Taking into account combinations of behaviors and behavioral pattern might benefit those who have not received sufficient health benefits of PA.