Device-Measured and Self-Reported Active Travel Associations with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Adults

Abstract

Active travel (AT) provides an opportunity to alleviate the physical inactivity and climate crises contributing to the global chronic disease burden, including cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Though AT shows promising links to reduced CVD risk, prior studies relied on self-reported AT assessment. In the present study, device-measured and self-reported AT were compared across population subgroups and relationships with CVD risk biomarkers were evaluated for both measures. The study recruited an ethnically diverse sample (N = 602, mean age 59 years, 42% Hispanic/Latino ethnicity) from neighborhoods that varied by walkability and food access. AT was assessed using concurrently collected accelerometer and GPS data and self-report data from a validated survey. Relationships with body mass index (BMI), triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, blood pressure (BP), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were modeled using multivariable linear regression. Devices captured more AT than did self-report. We found differences in AT measures by population subgroups, including race, ethnicity, education, income, vehicle access, and walkability. Men had more accelerometer-measured MVPA, though women self-reported more daily minutes. Both device and survey AT measures were positively associated with total accelerometer-measured MVPA, though the relationship was stronger with device-measured AT. Device-measured AT was associated with lower BMI. No other CVD risk biomarker was associated with either AT measure. No effect modification by Hispanic/Latino ethnicity was detected. Further studies with device-based measures are warranted to better understand the relationship between AT and cardiovascular health.

Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity Data Sets (Global Physical Activity Data Set Catalogue) That Include Markers of Cardiometabolic Health: Systematic Scoping Review

“…The mean age of the participants was 54.1 (SD 12.35) years, with a range of 15 to 98 years, where mean age could be retrieved from the data set (110/122, 90.2%). Data sets were identified in 5 continents, with the majority being retrieved from Europe and North America (n=85 data sets) [ 5 , 21 , 22 , 24 , 25 , 28 , 31 - 36 , 39 - 45 , 48 - 50 , 52 , 55 - 58 , 60 - 63 , 66 , 67 , 70 - 72 ,​ 74 , 75 , 77 - 80 , 82 , 84 - 86 , 89 , 91 - 96 , 98 - 102 , 104 , 105 , 107 - 109 , 111 - 115 , 117 ,​ 119 , 121 , 124 , 125 , 128 , 129 , 131 , 132 , 140 ]. A wide range of health markers have been collected, with most studies measuring height (119/122, 97.5%), body mass (119/122, 97.5%), and blood pressure (82/122, 67.2%).…”

Air pollution and metabolic disorders: Dynamic versus static measures of exposure among Hispanics/Latinos and non-Hispanics

“…It can also be due to difference in personal mobility such as active travel (i.e., biking and walking to get from place to place). Previously, it was shown that Non-Hispanics had more device-based active travel minutes, derived from accelerometer and GPS devices, than Hispanics/Latinos ( Crist et al, 2021 ). This unexpected finding is not consistent with previous literature.…”

Effect of built environment on BMI of older adults in regions of different socio-economic statuses

“…Street green vision is a method of capturing and identifying street-level images to determine the exposure of greenery in a neighborhood, and it provides an objective view of the green environment from a human perspective (13). Studies have found that higher street greenness is associated with a higher propensity for older adults to exercise (12), which in turn reduces obesity (59,60).…”