Associations between sedentary time, physical activity and bone health among older people using compositional data...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Bone Densitometry
• Movement Behavior Analysis

Background:

• Aging leads to bone mass loss, a process influenced by physical activity levels.
• Daily time constraints create interdependencies between different movement behaviors (sedentary, light, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between bone mass and various movement behaviors in elderly individuals.
• To utilize compositional data analysis to understand the interplay of movement behaviors on bone health.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 871 older adults (395 men, 476 women) using accelerometry for movement behavior assessment and DXA for bone densitometry.
• Stratification of the sample by sex and bone health indicators to identify specific associations.

Main Results:

• Combined movement behaviors significantly correlated with bone mass in various body regions for the whole sample, men, and women.
• In men, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity showed positive associations with bone mass in specific regions, while sedentary behavior showed negative associations.
• In women, sedentary behavior and light physical activity showed mixed associations with bone mass, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity had some negative associations with arm bone mass.

Conclusions:

• Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity demonstrates the most significant positive impact on bone mass in men.
• Increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior may lower fracture risk in women, even without direct bone mass benefits observed.
• Movement behavior composition is crucial for understanding bone health in aging populations.