Dynamic sitting: Measurement and associations with metabolic health

Abstract

Dynamic sitting, such as fidgeting and desk work, might be associated with health, but remains difficult toidentify out of accelerometry data. We examined, in a laboratory study, whether dynamic sitting can beidentified out of triaxial activity counts. Among 18 participants (56% men, 27.3 ± 6.5 years), up to 236 countsper minute were recorded in the anteroposterior and mediolateral axes during dynamic sitting using a hip-worn accelerometer. Subsequently, we examined in 621 participants (38% men, 80.0 ± 4.7 years) from theAGES-Reykjavik Study whether dynamic sitting was associated with cardio-metabolic health. Compared toparticipants who recorded the fewest dynamic sitting minutes (Q1), those with more dynamic sittingminutes had a lower BMI (Q2=−1.39 (95%CI =−2.33;–0.46); Q3=−1.87 (−2.82;–0.92); Q4=−3.38 (−4.32;–2.45)), a smaller waist circumference (Q2=−2.95 (−5.44;–0.46); Q3=−3.47 (−6.01;–0.93); Q4=−8.21 (−10.72;–5.71)), and a lower odds for the metabolic syndrome (Q2= 0.74 [0.45;1.20] Q3= 0.58 [0.36;0.95]; Q4=0.36[0.22;0.59]). Our findings suggest that dynamic sitting might be identified using accelerometry and that thisbehaviour was associated with health. This might be important given the large amounts of time peoplespend sitting. Future studies with a focus on validation, causation and physiological pathways are needed tofurther examine the possible relevance of dynamic sitting.