The difference in sleep, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity between older adults with 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' cardiometabolic profiles: a cross-sectional compositional data analysis approach.

Abstract

Background: Studies have seldom used Compositional Data Analysis (CoDA) to map the effects of sleep, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity on older adults' cardio-metabolic profiles. This study therefore aimed to illustrate how sleep, sedentary behaviour, and physical activity profiles differ between older adult groups (60-89 years), with 'low' compared to those with 'high' concentrations of endocrine cardio-metabolic disease risk markers, using CoDA.

Method: Ninety-three participants (55% female) wore a thigh-mounted triaxial accelerometer for seven consecutive free-living days. Accelerometer estimates of daily average hours of engagement in sedentary behaviour (SB), standing, light-intensity physical activity (LIPA), sporadic moderate-vigorous physical activity (sMVPA, accumulated with bouts between 1 and 10 min), 10-min moderate-vigorous physical activity (₁₀MVPA, accumulated with bouts ≥10 min), in addition to self-reported sleeping hours were reported. Fasted whole blood concentrations of total cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and glycated haemoglobin, and serum lipoprotein lipase (LPL), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and procollagen III N-terminal propeptide were determined.

Results: Triglyceride concentration appeared to be highly dependent on ₁₀MVPA engagement as the 'low' and 'high' concentration groups engaged in 48% more and 32% less ₁₀MVPA, respectively, relative to the geometric mean of the entire study sample. Time-use composition of the 'low' LPL group's engagement in ₁₀MVPA was 26% less, while the 'high' LPL group was 7.9% more, than the entire study sample. Time-use composition of the 'high' glucose and glycated haemoglobin groups appeared to be similar as both engaged in more Sleep and SB, and less ₁₀MVPA compared to the study sample. Participants with a 'low' IL-6 concentration engaged in 4.8% more Sleep and 2.7% less ₁₀MVPA than the entire study sample. Time-use composition of the Total Cholesterol groups was mixed with the 'low' concentration group engaging in more Standing and ₁₀MVPA but less Sleep, SB, LIPA, and sMVPA than the entire study sample.

Conclusion: Older adults should aim to increase 10MVPA engagement to improve lipid profile and decrease SB engagement to improve glucose profile.