Associations between bouted and non-bouted physicalactivity on multimorbidity

Background The association between objectively measured bouted (at least 10min in duration) and non-bouted (<10min in duration) physical activity with multimorbidity is unknown, which was the purpose of this study. Methods Data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were employed (n=4584 adults). Bouted physical activity and non-bouted physical activity were assessed via accelerometry, with multimorbidity assessed via physician diagnosis and laboratory data. Results For the ordinal regression model, and after adjustment, both non-bouted moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; (adjusted)=-0.63; 95% CI: -0.79 to -0.48; P<0.001) and bouted MVPA ((adjusted)=-0.43; 95% CI: -0.63 to -0.23; P<0.001) were independently associated with multimorbidity. In a multivariable logistic regression, both non-bouted MVPA (ORadjusted=0.59; 95% CI: 0.48-0.72; P<0.001) and bouted MVPA (ORadjusted=0.66; 95% CI: 0.52-0.84; P= 0.001) were associated with a reduced odds of being multimorbid. Conclusion Both bouted MVPA and non-bouted MVPA were associated with reduced odds of multimorbidity, underscoring the importance of promoting both types of physical activity.