Diurnal patterns of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour in older men

Abstract Background Older adults are recommended to sleep 7–8 h/day. Time in bed (TIB) differs from sleep duration and includes also the time of lying in bed without sleeping. Long TIB (≥9 h) are associated with self-reported sedentary behavior, but the association between objectively measured physical activity, sedentary behavior and TIB is unknown. Methods This study was based on cross-sectional analysis of the Healthy Ageing Network of Competence (HANC Study). Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured by a tri-axial accelerometer (ActiGraph) placed on the dominant wrist for 7 days. Sedentary behavior was classified as < 2303 counts per minute (cpm) in vector magnitude and physical activity intensities were categorized, as 2303–4999 and ≥ 5000 cpm in vector magnitude. TIB was recorded in self-reported diaries. Participants were categorized as UTIB (usually having TIB 7–9 h/night: ≥80% of measurement days), STIB (sometimes having TIB 7–9 h/night: 20–79% of measurement days), and RTIB (rarely having TIB 7–9 h/night: < 20% of measurement days). Multinominal regression models were used to calculate the relative risk ratios (RRR) of being RTIB and STIB by daily levels of physical activity and SB, with UTIB as the reference group. The models were adjusted for age, sex, average daily nap length and physical function. Results Three hundred and fourty-one older adults (median age 81 (IQR 5), 62% women) were included with median TIB of 8 h 21 min (1 h 10 min)/day, physical activity level of 2054 (864) CPM with 64 (15) % of waking hours in sedentary behavior. Those with average CPM within the highest tertile had a lower RRR (0.33 (0.15–0.71), p = 0.005) for being RTIB compared to those within the lowest tertile of average CPM. Accumulating physical activity in intensities 2303–4999 and ≥ 5000 cpm/day did not affect the RRR of being RTIB. RRR of being RTIB among highly sedentary participants (≥10 h/day of sedentary behavior) more than tripled compared to those who were less sedentary (3.21 (1.50–6.88), p = 0.003). Conclusions For older adults, being physically active and less sedentary was associated with being in bed for 7–9 h/night for most nights (≥80%). Future longitudinal studies are warranted to explore the causal relationship sbetween physical activity and sleep duration.

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Every step counts: synthesising reviews associating objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour with clinical outcomes in community-dwelling older adults

The Lancet Healthy Longevity ◽

10.1016/s2666-7568(21)00203-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (11) ◽

pp. e764-e772

Author(s):

Keenan A Ramsey ◽

Carel G M Meskers ◽

Andrea B Maier

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Older Adults ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Step Counts ◽

Objectively Measured ◽

Community Dwelling Older Adults ◽

Objectively Measured Physical Activity

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Objectively measured physical activity, sedentary behaviour and all-cause mortality in older men: does volume of activity matter more than pattern of accumulation?

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsports-2017-098733 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (16) ◽

pp. 1013-1020 ◽

Cited By ~ 67

Author(s):

Barbara J Jefferis ◽

Tessa J Parsons ◽

Claudio Sartini ◽

Sarah Ash ◽

Lucy T Lennon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Older Men ◽

Population Based ◽

Physical Activity Guidelines ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Sedentary Breaks ◽

Objectively Measured

ObjectivesTo understand how device-measured sedentary behaviour and physical activity are related to all-cause mortality in older men, an age group with high levels of inactivity and sedentary behaviour.MethodsProspective population-based cohort study of men recruited from 24 UK General Practices in 1978–1980. In 2010–2012, 3137 surviving men were invited to a follow-up, 1655 (aged 71–92 years) agreed. Nurses measured height and weight, men completed health and demographic questionnaires and wore an ActiGraph GT3x accelerometer. All-cause mortality was collected through National Health Service central registers up to 1 June 2016.ResultsAfter median 5.0 years’ follow-up, 194 deaths occurred in 1181 men without pre-existing cardiovascular disease. For each additional 30 min in sedentary behaviour, or light physical activity (LIPA), or 10 min in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), HRs for mortality were 1.17 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.25), 0.83 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.90) and 0.90 (95% CI 0.84 to 0.96), respectively. Adjustments for confounders did not meaningfully change estimates. Only LIPA remained significant on mutual adjustment for all intensities. The HR for accumulating 150 min MVPA/week in sporadic minutes (achieved by 66% of men) was 0.59 (95% CI 0.43 to 0.81) and 0.58 (95% CI 0.33 to 1.00) for accumulating 150 min MVPA/week in bouts lasting ≥10 min (achieved by 16% of men). Sedentary breaks were not associated with mortality.ConclusionsIn older men, all activities (of light intensity upwards) were beneficial and accumulation of activity in bouts ≥10 min did not appear important beyond total volume of activity. Findings can inform physical activity guidelines for older adults.

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