Abstract P257: The Association of Metabolic Risk and Physical Activity Trajectories: CARDIA
Purpose: To determine whether baseline metabolic risk in young adults is associated with physical activity (PA) trajectories over 20 years. Methods: The sample included young adults from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, baseline ages 18–30 years (n= 4161). PA was determined from self-reported questionnaire at baseline and at years 2,5,7,10,15 and 20 of follow-up. Baseline metabolic risk was calculated using age-adjusted principal components analysis (elevated=top 10% of first factor), within sex-by-race groups, from mean arterial pressure (1/3(SBP-DBP)+DBP), glucose, waist circumference, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Repeated measures general linear modeling was used to generate PA trajectories over 20 years, separately in black men, white men, black women and white women, adjusting for age and smoking status. Time by metabolic risk interaction terms did not contribute significantly to any model for any sex-by-race group and were therefore not included in final models. Results: In black men, white men, and white women, PA (in exercise units) at baseline was significantly lower among those with elevated metabolic risk (elevated risk vs. normal risk: black men 473.0 ± 27.0 vs. 572.0 ± 22.7; white men: 498.0 ±20.6 vs. 568.7 ± 17.3; white women: 402.4 ± 17.0 vs. 481.1 ± 14.3), and these differences persisted over 20 years (black men: −98.9 ± 16.4, white men: −70.8 ± 12.5 , white women: −78.7 ± 10.2; all p<0.0001). There were no significant differences in PA by metabolic risk in black women (307.2 ± 15.5 vs. 317.4 ± 13.1, difference: −10.1 ± 9.3, p =0.27). Conclusion: Elevated metabolic risk is associated with lower levels of PA in early adulthood, and these differences persist over 20 years. Despite these lower levels at baseline, the PA trajectory declines at similar rates for those with and without elevated metabolic risk. Young adults with elevated metabolic risk are important to identify early, in order to prevent PA level gap which remains over 20 years between those with and without elevated metabolic risk.