Health associations with meeting the new Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommendations according to body mass index classes in Canadian adults

Background Data on meeting the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for adults (24-H Guidelines) and associations with health indicators by body mass index (BMI) class are needed to support public health surveillance. The aim of this study was to describe the proportion of Canadian adults meeting individual and various combinations of the 24-H Guidelines by BMI class and their association with health indicators.Data and methods Data from the cross-sectional Canadian Health Measures Survey cycles 1 to 4 (2007 to 2015, n = 10,515 adults aged 18 to 79 years) were used. Daily time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour were assessed using accelerometry. Sleep duration, recreational screen time, chronic conditions, sociodemographic characteristics, and general and mental health were self-reported. The BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure and aerobic fitness were directly measured. Respondents were classified as meeting the 24-H Guidelines when center dot the MVPA was 150 minutes per week or more center dot sedentary time was nine hours or less per day center dot recreational screen time was three hours or less per day center dot sleep duration was seven to nine hours per day for individuals aged 18 to 64 years or seven to eight hours per day for individuals aged 65 years and older.Results Significantly fewer adults with overweight (6.1%) or class I (4.3%) and class II or III (3.9%) obesity met all three 24-H Guidelines compared with those with normal weight (9.5%). Meeting all three or two recommendations of the 24-H Guidelines was generally associated with a lower waist circumference, higher aerobic physical fitness and self-perceived general health regardless of BMI class.Interpretation Canadian adults living with overweight and obesity are less likely to meet the 24-H Guidelines. Most of the benefits associated with meeting the 24-H Guidelines are observed regardless of BMI status.

Automated summary

This study aimed to analyze the proportion of Canadian adults meeting the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and their association with health indicators by BMI class. The results showed that individuals with overweight and obesity were less likely to meet the guidelines compared to those with normal weight. Furthermore, meeting the guidelines was associated with better health indicators regardless of BMI status.