Abstract
The health benefits of objectively measured physical activity volume versus intensity have rarely been studied, particularly in non-western populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cardiometabolic risk factors and stepping activity including; volume (step count), intensity (cadence) or inactivity (zero-steps/minute/day), in a multi-ethnic Asian population. Participants clinical data was collected at baseline and their physical activity was monitored for seven days, using an accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X+) in 2016. Tertiles (low, moderate, high) of the mean daily step count, peak one-minute, 30-min, 60-min cadences and time/day spent at zero-steps/minute were calculated. Adjusted linear regressions explored the association between stepping activity tertiles and cardiometabolic risk factors. A total of 635 participants (41% male, 67% Chinese, mean age 48.4 years) were included in the analyses. The mean daily step count was 7605 (median daily step count 7310) and 7.8 h of awake time per day were spent inactive (zero-steps/minute). A greater number of associations were found for step intensity than volume. Higher step intensity was associated with reduced body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressures and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Future health promotion initiatives should consider the greater role of step intensity to reduce cardiometabolic risk.
Highlights
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for a high degree of morbidity and mortality globally, causing an estimated 38 million deaths per year [1]
The aims of this study were to investigate: i) the association between cardiometabolic risk factors and step activity, and ii) whether these associations vary by volume, intensity or the degree of inactivity in a multi-ethnic Asian population
(55% v 58% female), ethnicity, marital status (64% v 61% married) and employment status (74% v 77% working) were not statistically different between those enrolled in the Singapore Health Study 2 (SHS2) and this accelerometer measured physical activity (PA) study, with the expectation of education level, which was higher in the objectively measured PA study
Summary
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are responsible for a high degree of morbidity and mortality globally, causing an estimated 38 million deaths per year [1]. Development of an NCD is strongly associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviors but can be reduced through regular physical activity (PA). Many NCD risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and excess weight, can be. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 863; doi:10.3390/ijerph17030863 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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