Physical Activity Patterns and Mortality: The Weekend Warrior and Activity Bouts

This study aimed to examine how accelerometer-assessed physical activity accumulation patterns (e.g., is activity performed daily or only 1 or 2 d·wk−1 or is activity accrued in bouts) may affect the association with mortality. Methods Adults (N = 3438), age 40 yr and older, who wore an accelerometer (ActiGraph 7164), were drawn from the longitudinal follow-up of the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (2003–2006), a population-based survey of the United States. Accelerometer-assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was described by activity patterns. Participants engaging in the majority of their activity on only 1 or 2 d·wk−1· were classified as “weekend warriors.” Activity bouts were defined as a period of at least moderate intensity lasting at least 10 min. Bout characteristics included bout frequency and length. Mortality was assessed through National Death Index matching through 2013. Mortality rates were compared among groups with different activity patterns. Results Over an average follow-up of 77.4 months, 394 deaths occurred. Compared to participants with
Source: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise - Category: Sports Medicine Tags: EPIDEMIOLOGY Source Type: research