Examining the Links Between Physical Activity, Sitting Time, and Renal Function in T2DM Patients

Abstract

Background

Sitting time and physical activity are related to renal function among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, the mechanism of how it contributes to renal function is not well understood. The current study attempts to explore the relationship between sitting time and renal function among T2DM patients, with a particular focus on the mediating role of physical activity.

Methods

This research uses the data of 1761 Chinese T2DM patients from Ningxia Province. Sitting time and physical activity were obtained during a face-to-face survey, and renal function was assessed by the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The bootstrap method is used to test the mediating effect.

Results

The research found that sitting time was negatively associated with eGFR and physical activity after controlling for covariates. Physical activity was positively associated with eGFR. Physical activity has mediated the relationship between sitting time and eGFR among T2DM patients (explaining 16.1% of the total variance).

Conclusion

The present findings suggest that sitting time negatively affects eGFR among T2DM patients and provides new evidence that physical activity could attenuate the association between sitting time and eGFR. Hence, intervention strategies focusing on sitting time and physical activity should be paid more attention in the future.

Keywords:

• sitting time
• physical activity
• eGFR
• mediating effect
• T2DM patients

Data Sharing Statement

The data used to support the findings of this study are included within Supplementary Table 1.

Disclosure

All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant number 82204955), the Ningxia Natural Science Foundation (2022AAC05058).