Do older people with diabetes meet the recommended weekly physical activity targets? An analysis of objective physical activity data

Abstract

Appropriate management of diabetes mellitus (DM) includes following a healthy lifestyle, in which reaching physical activity (PA) recommendations is an important factor. Despite this, it remains unclear whether people with DM meet the recommended PA targets. We therefore aimed to investigate the proportion of older adults with DM (type 1 and 2) engaging in the recommended amount of PA per week in a cross-sectional study. PA levels were objectively measured using the GT1M ActiGraph accelerometer for seven consecutive days, and the cut-off of 150 min of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) was used. To assess the relationship between not meeting the recommendation for, and the significant factors associated with PA level (MVPA < 150 min/week), a multivariable logistic regression analysis was applied. 197 diabetic participants (mean age = 66.8 years; 46.7% males) spent only 74.5 ± 94.4 min/weekly in MVPA, and only 39 (=19.8%) reached the cut-off for sufficient PA levels. Significant correlates of not meeting the recommendation for PA levels were female sex, depressive symptoms, and age. In conclusion, only one-fifth of diabetic people reached the recommended amount of PA, suggesting that more intervention is needed to increase PA levels in this population.