Associations of Step Counts and Peak Step Cadence With DXA-Derived Total Body, Abdominal, and Visceral Fat in Older Adults

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the associations between step counts (step volume; steps/day) and peak step cadence (step intensity; steps/min) with total body fat, abdominal fat, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in community-dwelling older adults. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Community-based setting. Participants: A total of 158 older adults (N=158) (mean age, 66.2±4.5y) were included. All participants wore an accelerometer and completed body composition assessment using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Interventions: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Steps/day and 30-minute peak cadence were measured by hip-worn accelerometer for 1 week. Total body fat, abdominal fat, and VAT were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Generalized linear models were used for data analyses with adjustments for known cardiovascular risk factors. Results: Each additional 1000 steps/day was associated with lower values of total body fat (β=–575 g, P=.006), abdominal fat (β=–55 g, P=.038), and VAT mass (β=–47 g, P=.016) and volume (β=–50 cm3, P=.016). Each additional 10 steps/min in peak 30-minute cadence was associated with lower values of total body fat (β=–864 g, P=.002), abdominal fat (β=–93 g, P=.008), and VAT mass (β=–78 g, P=.002) and volume (β=–83 cm3, P=.002). All associations persisted after adjusting for body mass index (P