Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in People Living with HIV

Studies estimating the associations of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) with cardiometabolic risk factors and related conditions among people living with HIV (PWH) are limited. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2007-08 through 2017-18 cycles) (N = 23,810) includes 125 PWH (representing 742,174 PWH). Adults were classified based on life epoch: emerging (18-29 yrs), early (30-44 yrs) and middle (45-59 yrs) adulthood. Achieving aerobic PA Guidelines (≥150 min/wk of moderate-vigorous intensity PA [MVPA]) was quantified from self-report data collected across three domains (transportation, occupation/household, and leisure-time). SB was self-reported time sitting (min/day), regardless of domain. Cardiometabolic conditions included blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), weight status, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease. Regression models estimated the differences in PA and SB by HIV status and among PWH we estimated the association of achieving PA Guidelines with cardiometabolic conditions. We also investigated whether age modified these relations and explored differences in domain-specific PA across life epochs. These analyses indicate that not meeting the PA Guidelines resulted in greater odds of obesity and higher diastolic blood pressure, which increases risk for poor health among PWH-an already high-risk group for cardiovascular disease. Future longitudinal studies are needed to establish temporality.