Patterns of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Normal-weight, Overweight and Obese Adults, As Measured with a Portable Armband Device and an Electronic Diary

Background & Aims: Accurate data on domain-specific physical activity and sedentary behavior among normal-weight, overweight and obese adults are scarce. This study described a comprehensive physical (in)activity profile and examined variations in activity across the week.

Methods: Physical activity was measured in 442 Flemish adults (41.4 ± 9.8 years) for 7 days using the SenseWear Armband and an electronic diary. Differences in (in)activity between BMI subgroups were examined using one-way analyses of variance.

Results: Physical activity level decreased with increasing BMI in men (1.77-1.46 MET) and women (1.67-1.31 MET). Sedentary time was higher in obese than normal-weight men (+1.09 h/day) and overweight and obese than normal-weight women (+1.04 and +1.88 h/day). Total hours of moderate-to-vigorous activity and bouts of moderate-to-vigorous activity were lower in overweight and obese than normal-weight subjects. The average duration of a sedentary bout and the number of breaks in sedentary time were only different between female BMI groups. The intensity of domain-specific activities decreased with increasing BMI. Activity patterns across the week differed between subgroups, with the difference most pronounced on Saturday for the male BMI groups.

Conclusions: This study described activity patterns among normal-weight, overweight and obese adults. The results should be used to design obesity prevention strategies.