Abstract
This study aimed to catalog the relationships between step-based accelerometer metrics indicative of physical activity volume (steps per day, adjusted to a pedometer scale), intensity (mean steps per minute from the highest, not necessarily consecutive, minutes in a day; peak 30-min cadence), and sedentary behavior (percent time at zero cadence relative to wear time; %TZC) and cardiometabolic risk factors. We analyzed data from 3388 participants, 20+ yr old, in the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey with ≥1 valid day of accelerometer data and at least some data on weight, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucose, insulin, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and/or glycohemoglobin. Linear trends were evaluated for cardiometabolic variables, adjusted for age and race, across quintiles of steps per day, peak 30-min cadence, and %TZC. Median steps per day ranged from 2247 to 12,334 steps per day for men and from 1755 to 9824 steps per day for women, and median peak 30-min cadence ranged from 48.1 to 96.0 steps per minute for men and from 40.8 to 96.2 steps per minute for women for the first and fifth quintiles, respectively. Linear trends were statistically significant (all P < 0.001), with increasing quintiles of steps per day and peak 30-min cadence inversely associated with waist circumference, weight, body mass index, and insulin for both men and women. Median %TZC ranged from 17.6% to 51.0% for men and from 19.9% to 47.6% for women for the first and fifth quintiles, respectively. Linear trends were statistically significant (all P < 0.05), with increasing quintiles of %TZC associated with increased waist circumference, weight and insulin for men, and insulin for women. This analysis identified strong linear relationships between step-based movement/nonmovement dimensions and cardiometabolic risk factors. These data offer a set of quantified access points for studying the potential dose-response effects of each of these dimensions separately or collectively in longitudinal observational or intervention study designs.
Highlights
Steps/day, detected by either pedometers (13), or accelerometers (21, 34), or more contemporary wearable technologies (39), is a widely accepted simple metric for objectively quantifying total daily volume of ambulatory activity
Based on accelerometry data collected as part of the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we have previously reported that American adults accumulate, ≈ 8.7 hours at 1-59 steps/min, ≈ 16 min/day at 60-79 steps/min, ≈ 8 minutes at 80-99 steps/min, ≈ 5 minutes at 100-119 steps/min, and ≈ 2 minutes at 120+ steps/min (32)
Walton Beach, FL) data were collected as part of the NHANES Physical Activity Monitor (PAM) component in 2005-2006, the step output was only released for the latter cycle
Summary
Steps/day, detected by either pedometers (13), or accelerometers (21, 34), or more contemporary wearable technologies (39), is a widely accepted simple metric for objectively quantifying total daily volume of ambulatory activity. Measured steps/day has been related to indicators of body composition (6, 27), blood pressure (6), glucose control (28), higher HDL-cholesterol (27), and lower levels of triglycerides (27). Steps/day has been associated with time spent in objectively-determined moderate intensity physical activity (r=0.79) (35), a simple daily tally of steps taken has been criticized as failing to clearly capture or communicate “quality” of ambulatory activity (7). Re-considering cadence (steps/min) as an indicator of intensity of ambulatory activity has evolved as a result of a number of controlled studies (based upon treadmill, track, or corridor walking) (1, 3, 18, 24, 38), that taken together, demonstrate the correlation between cadence and absolutely-defined intensity (measured as metabolic equivalents or METs) is r=0.94 (33). Based on accelerometry data collected as part of the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we have previously reported that American adults accumulate, ≈ 8.7 hours at 1-59 steps/min (including a range of incidental movements to more purposeful steps), ≈ 16 min/day at 60-79 steps/min (slow walking), ≈ 8 minutes at 80-99 steps/min (medium walking), ≈ 5 minutes at 100-119 steps/min (brisk walking), and ≈ 2 minutes at 120+ steps/min (considered indicative of all faster locomotor movements, for example, running, dancing, skipping, etc.) (32)
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