Different amounts of physical activity measured by pedometer and the associations with health outcomes in adults

Abstract

Background: Physical activity level is an important tool to identify individuals predisposed to developing chronic diseases, which represent a major concern worldwide. Objective: To identify correlates of daily step counts measured using pedometers, as well as analyze the associations between health outcomes and 3 different amounts of daily physical activity. Methods: The sample comprised 278 participants (126 men and 153 women) with a mean age of 46.51 ± 9.02 years. Physical activity was assessed using pedometers for 7 consecutive days, and 3 amounts of daily physical activity were considered: =10,000 steps/day, =7500 steps/day, and <5000 steps/day. Sleep quality was assessed through a questionnaire, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure body fat. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data were also collected. Results: The percentages of adults achieving at least 10,000 and 7500 steps/day on a minimum of 5 days of the evaluated week were 12.9% and 30.9%, respectively. Adults who reached =7500 steps/day had a lower likelihood of being obese (odds ratio [OR] = 0.38, 95% confdence interval [CI], 0.17-0.85) and reporting worse sleep quality (OR = 0.58, 95% CI, 0.34-0.99). Adults who reached <5000 steps/day had a higher likelihood of reporting worse sleep quality (OR = 2.11, 95% CI, 1.17-3.82). Conclusion: Physical activity in adulthood, as measured by pedometer, constituted a behavior related to lower adiposity and better sleep quality.