Accelerometer-determined moderate intensity lifestyle activity and cardiometabolic health

Objective. To assess the relationship between moderate intensity lifestyle activity (LA) and cardiometabolic health using accelerometer data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2006. Methods. One thousand three hundred and seventy-one adults (50% men; 71% non-Hispanic white) provided valid data to quantify time in LA [760-2019 counts per minute (CPM)] and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA: 2020 CPM). Associations between LA [minutes per day (min/day); steps per day (steps/day)], and cardiometabolic risk factors [triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), blood pressure, glucose, waist circumference], metabolic syndrome, self-reported hypertension and diabetes were investigated using logistic regression. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and MVPA categories. Results. Greater time in LA (min/day), independent from MVPA, was associated with lower odds of elevated triglycerides (OR,95% CI per 30 LA minutes: 0.89,0.83-0.97), low HDL-C (0.87,0.83-0.92), elevated waist circumference (0.88,0.83-0.94), metabolic syndrome (0.87,0.80-0.96), and diabetes (0.67,0.55-0.82). The same cardiometabolic risk factors were also significantly associated with LA steps/day. No significant association was found between LA (min/day or steps/day) and glucose or blood pressure. Conclusion. Accumulation of time or steps in LA is independently related to lower odds for certain cardiometabolic risk factors. Research should consider the effects of increasing LA, which could influence future physical activity recommendations. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.