Background/Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is the clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors and has been linked to an increased risk of developing type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of MetS; however, the impact of physical inactivity is less clear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk of MetS associated with both screentime and minutes spent physically inactive (MPIA).
Method: Data for this study came from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). A total of 1,905 adults ages 18 years or older (male = 939 and female = 966) were included in the analysis. Screentime was determined by self-report questionnaire, and included hours spent in front of computer and television. MPIA was assessed using the ActiGraph AM-7164 accelerometer (<100 cts/min). MetS status was determined by meeting three of four risk factors: blood glucose, HDL cholesterol, waist circumference, and blood pressure.
Analysis/Results: Both physical inactivity measures were converted to quartiles for analyses. The SAS 9.1 SURVEYLOGISTIC procedure was used to adjust models for physical activity, age, race, and income. Adults in the highest quartile of screentime had the greatest odds of MetS (OR=2.89, 95% CI: 1.93-4.33), (p for trend <.0001). Adults in the highest quartile of MPIA had the greatest odds of MetS (OR=1.94, 95% CI: 1.36-2.78), (p for trend <.0001). The adjusted model using MPIA was not significant.
Conclusions: The study found that more time spent physically inactive increases the risk of metabolic syndrome among U.S. adults.