US adults with visual impairments meeting 24-h movement guidelines: Updated national prevalence estimates

Despite known benefits of engaging in recommended amounts of physical activity (PA), sleep, and sedentary behavior (SB), little is known about how adults with visual impairments (VIs) meet these guidelines in isolation or simultaneously.

This study estimated (a) the prevalence of US adults with VIs who are partially or fully meeting the 24-h movement guidelines, and (b) the differential contribution of work-related, leisure, and transportation to total time accrued for PA.

A cross-sectional sample of adults with VIs (n = 466) was drawn from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015-2018 combined datasets. Guideline adherence was measured using self-report items for average time spent physically active, sitting and sleeping. Weighted prevalence estimates were produced for meeting guidelines separately and in combination. The average percent of PA minutes accrued across work-related, leisure and transportation were compared among those meeting PA guidelines.

An estimated 29.6% (SE = 3.6) of US adults with VIs met all three guidelines. An estimated 59.3% (SE = 3.5) adults with VIs met PA guidelines alone or in combination with SB and sleep. Within this group, the majority of weekly PA minutes (average 63.9%) was accrued at work.

An estimated two thirds of adults with VIs are not engaged in healthful 24-h movement behaviors. Targeted interventions for adults with VIs are warranted that may require a comprehensive approach to PA, SB, and sleep. Work emerged as an important location for adults with VIs to accrue PA, inviting future research to explore associations between employment and 24-h movements within this population.