Physical activity, sedentary time and gain in overall and central body fat: 7-year follow-up of the ProActive trial cohort

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity Vol. 39; no. 1; pp. 142 - 148
• Main Authors: Golubic, R, Wijndaele, K, Sharp, S J, Simmons, R K, Griffin, S J, Wareham, N J, Ekelund, U, Brage, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.01.2015; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 692/699/1702/393; 692/699/2743/137/773; 692/700/459/284; Abdomen; Accelerometry; Adipose tissue; Adiposity; Adult; Body fat; Body mass index; Body weight; Cardiovascular Diseases - etiology; Cardiovascular Diseases - metabolism; Cardiovascular Diseases - prevention & control; Clinical medicine; Cohort Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - etiology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - prevention & control; Disease; Epidemiology; Evidence-Based Medicine; Exercise; Family medical history; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health aspects; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Promotion; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Metabolism; Mortality; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - metabolism; Obesity - prevention & control; Original; original-article; Properties; Public Health; Risk Factors; Sedentary Behavior; Socioeconomics; Time Factors; Type 2 diabetes; Waist Circumference; Weight Gain; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; sedentary time; type 2 diabetes; moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; family history; body fat
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2014.66

Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the independent associations of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary (SED-time), with total and abdominal body fat (BF), and the bidirectionality of these associations in adults at high risk of type 2 diabetes. Design and subjects: We measured MVPA (min per day) and SED-time (h per day) by accelerometry, and indices of total (body weight, fat mass (FM), BF% and FM index) and abdominal BF (waist circumference (WC)) using standard procedures in 231 adults (41.3±6.4 years) with parental history of type 2 diabetes (ProActive UK) at baseline, 1-year and 7-year follow-up. Mixed effects models were used to quantify the independent associations (expressed as standardised β-coefficients (95% confidence interval (CI))) of MVPA and SED-time with fat indices, using data from all three time points. All models were adjusted for age, sex, intervention arm, monitor wear time, follow-up time, smoking status, socioeconomic status and MVPA/SED-time. Results: MVPA was inversely and independently associated with all indices of total BF (for example, 1 s.d. higher MVPA was associated with a reduction in FM, β =−0.09 (95% CI: −0.14, −0.04) s.d.) and abdominal BF (for example, WC: β =−0.07 (−0.12, −0.02)). Similarly, higher fat indices were independently associated with a reduction in MVPA (for example, WC: β =−0.25 (−0.36, −0.15); FM: β =−0.27 (−0.36, −0.18)). SED-time was positively and independently associated with most fat indices (for example, WC: β =0.03 (−0.04, 0.09); FM: β =0.10 (0.03, 0.17)). Higher values of all fat indices independently predicted longer SED-time (for example, WC: β =0.10 (0.02, 0.18), FM: β =0.15 (0.07, 0.22)). Conclusions: The associations of MVPA and SED-time with total and abdominal BF are bidirectional and independent among individuals at high risk for type 2 diabetes. The association between BF and MVPA is stronger than the reciprocal association, highlighting the importance of considering BF as a determinant of decreasing activity and a potential consequence. Promoting more MVPA and less SED-time may reduce total and abdominal BF.