A hierarchy of correlates impacting adults’ sensor-based physical activity and sedentary time

ABSTRACT

Investigation into correlates across all levels of the socio-ecological model predictive of objectively measured physical activity has rarely been assessed in adults. While considering a diversity of correlates, we determined which correlates best predict sensor-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary-time (ST) in adults. A Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection algorithm was used to hierarchize the correlates associated with high ST (≥66.6^thpercentile) and sufficient MVPA (≥150 min/week) in 865 adults. The main correlate predictive of being active was currently partaking in sport/exercise. The following relevant correlates were being male for the exercisers and having trees in the neighbourhood for the non-exercisers. The final correlate to boost male exercisers’ MVPA was having lots of shops in the neighbourhood and not having television in the bedroom for women. The primary correlate for high ST was job activity level, with individuals having highly active jobs being less likely to exhibit high levels of ST; being single, male, and a former athlete also increased the chances of being highly sedentary. To increase adults’ MVPA, promotion of sport participation, neighbourhood landscape planning, shop availability, as well as limiting television in the bedroom must be prioritized. For counteracting ST, increasing workplace activity level is warranted.

KEYWORDS:

• CHAID analysis
• physical activity
• sedentary behaviour
• sensor-based data
• socio-ecological model

Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to the participants for their time and effort. This investigation was conducted at the Interdisciplinary Center of the Study of Human Performance (CIPER), unit I&D 447 (UIDB/00447/2020), Faculty of Human Kinetics of the University of Lisbon, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, the Portuguese Ministry of Science. PBJ and IRC are supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (PBJ: SFRH/BPD/115977/2016; IRC: SFRH/BD/149394/2019), and DHN is supported by a grant from Comité Olímpico de Portugal (doctoral scholarship–COP).

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Availability of data and material

The datasets used during the current intervention are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2021.1964749.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [UIDB/00447/2020]; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BPD/115977/2016]; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [SFRH/BD/149394/2019]; Comité Olímpico de Portugal.