Combinations of physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep and their associations with cardiovascular risk

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the primary cause of global morbidity and mortality. Movement behaviors; physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB) and sleep are essential for cardiovascular health, yet they are often studied separately.

To investigate the association between the movement behaviors with cardiovascular risk (CVR) mediated by sleep quality.

Population-based survey in two Brazilian municipalities, collected through face-to-face interview.PA practice was assessed using a question adapted from the study: Surveillance of risk and protective factors for chronic diseases by telephone survey (VIGITEL). Total daily SB time was measured in hours. The proportion of minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in relation to SB time was calculated and dichotomized into < 2.5 or ≥ 2.5 min of MVPA per hour of SB. Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and CVR was estimated via the Framingham risk score (FRS), categorized as low risk (< 5%) or intermediate to high risk (≥ 5%).

The study involved 1,550 individuals, 46.3% aged 35-59 years and 50.7% female. Multivariate analysis, adjusted for confounders, indicated that individuals with ≥ 2.5 min of MVPA per hour of SB had a lower likelihood of intermediate to high CVR (odds ratio (OR): 0.60; 95%CI: 0.39-0.92), and 16.6% of this effect was mediated by sleep quality (OR: 0.65; 95%CI: 0.43-0.99). In the combined analysis, individuals with an MVPA per SB hour ratio and good sleep quality were less likely to have intermediate to high CVR (OR: 0.38; 95%CI: 0.21-0.69).

The combination of high MVPA, low SB and good sleep quality, was associated with a less CVR. These findings highlight the importance of integrated interventions addressing multiple movement behaviors to prevent and treat CVR.