Daily sedentary time and physical activity as assessed by accelerometry and their correlates in older adults

Abstract Background Higher physical activity is associated with lower chronic disease risk among older adults. However, less is known about the optimal balance between daily physical activity and sedentary time and their correlates among older adults. We described objectively measured physical activ...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Adriana J. van Ballegooijen, Hidde P. van der Ploeg, Marjolein Visser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2019-02-01
Series:European Review of Aging and Physical Activity
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11556-019-0210-9
_version_ 1818987284831141888
author Adriana J. van Ballegooijen
Hidde P. van der Ploeg
Marjolein Visser
author_facet Adriana J. van Ballegooijen
Hidde P. van der Ploeg
Marjolein Visser
author_sort Adriana J. van Ballegooijen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Higher physical activity is associated with lower chronic disease risk among older adults. However, less is known about the optimal balance between daily physical activity and sedentary time and their correlates among older adults. We described objectively measured physical activity patterns using 7 day hip-accelerometry and assessed its correlates in a large cross-sectional sample of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, a population-based cohort of older Dutch adults. In addition, we examined different combined profiles of sedentary time and physical activity across strata of sex, age, education and BMI groups. Results Mean age was 71 (SD 8) years and 51% (n = 615) were women. The majority of wear time was spent sedentary (65%) followed by light (33%), and MVPA (2%). Higher age and higher BMI were related to more time spent sedentary, while female sex and lower education were related lower sedentary time. The combination of high sedentary time (≥65.4% of waking time) and low physical activity (< 9.1% of waking time) was significantly associated with higher age, higher BMI, and slower walking speed compared to the combination of low sedentary time and high physical activity P < 0.001. Conclusions Dutch older adults spend on average 65% of their waking time sedentary. Older adults’ sedentary time differs by age, sex, education and BMI groups. The combination of high sedentary time and low physical was associated with higher age, higher BMI, and slower walking speed compared to the combination of low sedentary time and high MVPA. This suggests that increasing light activity might be an effective and feasible strategy in older persons to reduce sedentary time. Future studies should assess whether low- sedentary and high-light physical activity are associated with improved long-term health outcomes (also independent of MVPA).
first_indexed 2024-12-20T19:04:15Z
format Article
id doaj.art-2247c3b950df41af9e73ab833d65e8fb
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1813-7253
1861-6909
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-20T19:04:15Z
publishDate 2019-02-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series European Review of Aging and Physical Activity
spelling doaj.art-2247c3b950df41af9e73ab833d65e8fb2022-12-21T19:29:18ZengBMCEuropean Review of Aging and Physical Activity1813-72531861-69092019-02-0116111210.1186/s11556-019-0210-9Daily sedentary time and physical activity as assessed by accelerometry and their correlates in older adultsAdriana J. van Ballegooijen0Hidde P. van der Ploeg1Marjolein Visser2Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije UniversiteitDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center AmsterdamDepartment of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Vrije UniversiteitAbstract Background Higher physical activity is associated with lower chronic disease risk among older adults. However, less is known about the optimal balance between daily physical activity and sedentary time and their correlates among older adults. We described objectively measured physical activity patterns using 7 day hip-accelerometry and assessed its correlates in a large cross-sectional sample of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, a population-based cohort of older Dutch adults. In addition, we examined different combined profiles of sedentary time and physical activity across strata of sex, age, education and BMI groups. Results Mean age was 71 (SD 8) years and 51% (n = 615) were women. The majority of wear time was spent sedentary (65%) followed by light (33%), and MVPA (2%). Higher age and higher BMI were related to more time spent sedentary, while female sex and lower education were related lower sedentary time. The combination of high sedentary time (≥65.4% of waking time) and low physical activity (< 9.1% of waking time) was significantly associated with higher age, higher BMI, and slower walking speed compared to the combination of low sedentary time and high physical activity P < 0.001. Conclusions Dutch older adults spend on average 65% of their waking time sedentary. Older adults’ sedentary time differs by age, sex, education and BMI groups. The combination of high sedentary time and low physical was associated with higher age, higher BMI, and slower walking speed compared to the combination of low sedentary time and high MVPA. This suggests that increasing light activity might be an effective and feasible strategy in older persons to reduce sedentary time. Future studies should assess whether low- sedentary and high-light physical activity are associated with improved long-term health outcomes (also independent of MVPA).http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11556-019-0210-9
spellingShingle Adriana J. van Ballegooijen
Hidde P. van der Ploeg
Marjolein Visser
Daily sedentary time and physical activity as assessed by accelerometry and their correlates in older adults
European Review of Aging and Physical Activity
title Daily sedentary time and physical activity as assessed by accelerometry and their correlates in older adults
title_full Daily sedentary time and physical activity as assessed by accelerometry and their correlates in older adults
title_fullStr Daily sedentary time and physical activity as assessed by accelerometry and their correlates in older adults
title_full_unstemmed Daily sedentary time and physical activity as assessed by accelerometry and their correlates in older adults
title_short Daily sedentary time and physical activity as assessed by accelerometry and their correlates in older adults
title_sort daily sedentary time and physical activity as assessed by accelerometry and their correlates in older adults
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11556-019-0210-9
work_keys_str_mv AT adrianajvanballegooijen dailysedentarytimeandphysicalactivityasassessedbyaccelerometryandtheircorrelatesinolderadults
AT hiddepvanderploeg dailysedentarytimeandphysicalactivityasassessedbyaccelerometryandtheircorrelatesinolderadults
AT marjoleinvisser dailysedentarytimeandphysicalactivityasassessedbyaccelerometryandtheircorrelatesinolderadults