Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Light Physical Activity and Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in Older Adults

Abstract

Light physical activity (LPA) is associated with improved metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors and research has demonstrated sex-associated differences in MetS and LPA. The present study explored differential associations between LPA and MetS risk factors. Participants were 107 older adults (M = 74.78 years, SD = 6.29) without cognitive impairment (CDR = 0) that wore accelerometers (Actigraph GT9X) during 7 consecutive days. Activity intensity was categorized as sedentary, light, and moderate based on Freedson Adult Vector Magnitude cutpoints. Participants completed a medical history that collected ATP-III defined MetS risk factors. Women had a higher mean moderate physical activity (28.81%) than men (22.86%, t (86.02) = -3.51, p = <.001) and men had a higher mean sedentary behavior (27.98%) than women (24.27%), t (87.80) = -2.12, p = .034). However, light physical activity did not differ by sex (t (81.05) = -1.49, p =.138). Binomial logistic regressions demonstrated that the interaction between sex and time in light physical activity did not predict the presence of any of the metabolic syndrome risk factors, adjusting for age, education, Apolipoprotein E status, and medication use. The current sample was composed of highly educated (M = 16.37) primarily Caucasian and non-Hispanic older adults who were more active than average U.S. older adults. (light M = 47.91%, moderate M = 27.77%). These findings suggest that higher amounts of LPA may not demonstrate sex-associated differences in MetS risk factors. Future studies should explore these associations in a less active and less educated population of older adults.