Risk Estimates for Diabetes and Hypertension with Different Physical Activity Methods

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Background:

• Physical activity is crucial for preventing chronic diseases.
• Accurate measurement of physical activity is essential for understanding its health impacts.
• Discrepancies exist between self-reported and objectively measured physical activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the association of self-reported vs. accelerometer-determined moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) with incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) and hypertension.
• To assess risks of T2D and hypertension based on MVPA measurements, adjusted for each other.

Main Methods:

• 2291 adults (ages 38-50) from the CARDIA study.
• MVPA assessed via accelerometer (MVPA-Acc) and self-report (MVPA-SR) at year 20.
• Incident T2D and hypertension ascertained at years 25 and 30.
• Modified Poisson regression models used to estimate relative risks.

Main Results:

• Accelerometer-determined MVPA showed a dose-response reduction in T2D risk (37%-67%) in men and women, persisting after BMI adjustment.
• Self-reported MVPA was not significantly associated with T2D risk.
• Accelerometer-determined MVPA was marginally linked to reduced hypertension risk after BMI adjustment; self-reported MVPA showed no association.

Conclusions:

• Accelerometer-determined MVPA provides more consistent risk estimates for incident diabetes than self-reported MVPA.
• Objective measurement of physical activity is vital for accurate health risk assessment.