Sedentary behaviour patterns and spring-autumn seasonality in older Central European adults

Abstract

Background: Older adults are considered the most sedentary and the most fragile group in our society. Understanding how seasonal and meteorological factors impact the sedentary behaviour (SB) is important for developing of strategies to improve their health. Therefore, the purposes of the present study were to examine: (1) potential spring-autumn variation in SB patterns among older adults from Central Europe, and (2) possible interactions between weather conditions and SB patterns. Methods: 83 participants aged 55+ were repeatedly measured by accelerometers during one year – in spring and autumn months. Data about SB, physical activity (PA) and meteorological factors (daylight length, average precipitation and temperature) have been collected during both seasons. SB intervals (bouts) with a duration of 1–4, 5–9, 10–19, 20–29, 30–39, 40–59, and 60+ minutes were extracted to observe the spring-autumn differences. Results: In older adults, total sedentary time was 412min and 435min in spring and autumn, respectively (p<0.001). In both seasons, approximately 85% of daily bout frequency comprised bouts ≤10 minutes long. Regarding to sedentary bout duration, about 45% of the daily sedentary time was accumulated in bouts ≤10 minutes long. No significant differences between spring and autumn with regard to the duration of sedentary bouts (p>0.05) and frequency of sedentary bouts lasting ≥20 minutes were found. Looking at weather conditions, SB was significantly lower when the temperature was above 10°C in the autumn (p<0.01). Daylight length and average precipitation were significantly associated with total sedentary time; however, the associations differed in seasons. Conclusions: Although total sedentary time was slightly higher in autumn compared to spring, SB patterns did not differ significantly between spring and autumn. Overall, weather conditions appear to be important factors related to SB in elderly. Both, total sedentary time and SB patterns in relation to weather conditions should be considered when targeting older adults’ SB and PA interventions in different seasons.