Accelerometer-measured sedentary time among Hispanic adults: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

Abstract

Excessive sedentary behavior is associated with negative health outcomes independent of physical activity. Objective estimates of time spent in sedentary behaviors are lacking among adults from diverse Hispanic/Latino backgrounds. The objective of this study was to describe accelerometer-assessed sedentary time in a large, representative sample of Hispanic/Latino adults living in the United States, and compare sedentary estimates by Hispanic/Latino background, sociodemographic characteristics and weight categories. This study utilized baseline data from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) that included adults aged 18–74 years from four metropolitan areas (N = 16,415). Measured with the Actical accelerometer over 6 days, 76.9% (n = 12,631) of participants had > 10 h/day and > 3 days of data. Participants spent 11.9 h/day (SD 3.0), or 74% of their monitored time in sedentary behaviors. Adjusting for differences in wear time, adults of Mexican background were the least (11.6 h/day), whereas adults of Dominican background were the most (12.3 h/day), sedentary. Women were more sedentary than men, and older adults were more sedentary than younger adults. Household income was positively associated, whereas employment was negatively associated, with sedentary time. There were no differences in sedentary time by weight categories, marital status, or proxies of acculturation. To reduce sedentariness among these populations, future research should examine how the accumulation of various sedentary behaviors differs by background and region, and which sedentary behaviors are amenable to intervention.

Genomic Disparities in Breast Cancer among Latinas

“…Future research should draw from the few models of success in prior studies that have recruited sufficient numbers of Latinos. 245–248 Lessons can also be learned from successful examples of recruiting other racial and ethnic minority patients who have survived breast cancer. 249 Elements that appear to bolster success include partnership with community-based organizations that provide services to Latinas and the provision of language-concurrent clinical care.…”

Prolonged, Uninterrupted Sedentary Behavior and Glycemic Biomarkers Among US Hispanic/Latino Adults

“…11, 12 U.S. Hispanics/Latinos, who constitute the largest U.S. minority population, are disproportionately affected by metabolic conditions and may have distinct patterns of sedentary behavior that contribute to their greater metabolic risk. 13, 14 The purposes of this study, therefore, were to (1) characterize the patterns of sedentary behavior and their association with glycemic biomarkers among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and (2) examine the individual and joint associations of total sedentary time and prolonged, uninterrupted sedentary bouts with glycemic biomarkers. Glycemic biomarkers were selected as the outcome measure for the current investigation based on experimental evidence that has demonstrated detrimental changes in blood insulin/glucose levels and expression of genes involved in translocation of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter GLUT4 to the cell surface as a result of acute sedentary behavior 15–17 and given a recent meta-analysis of data from observational studies which showed that the largest and most persistent effect of prolonged sedentary behavior on health outcomes is on risk of incident type 2 diabetes.…”

Self-reported and objectively measured physical activity levels among Hispanic/Latino adults with type 2 diabetes

“…A new finding is the difference between step counts recorded by both devices during the week compared with weekends. A difference between physical activity on weekdays and weekends has been seen in a pedometer study of mostly white participants without diabetes17 and suggested in other studies of Hispanic/Latino adults 10 18. There was also a difference in average step counts by gender, with women averaging higher step counts on weekdays, while in men the average was similar comparing weekdays with weekends, possibly reflecting different occupations with men continuing to work on weekends.…”

“…There was also a difference in average step counts by gender, with women averaging higher step counts on weekdays, while in men the average was similar comparing weekdays with weekends, possibly reflecting different occupations with men continuing to work on weekends. In a previous study of over 12 600 Hispanic/Latino adults, women were more sedentary than men and this was most pronounced in individuals of Mexican background 18. Overall, participants in the current study either approached or met the recommended goal of 10 000 steps per day 19.…”