Movement- and Posture-based Measures of Sedentary Patterns and Associations with Metabolic Syndrome in Hispanic/Latino and non-Hispanic Adults

Sedentary behavior has been identified as a significant risk factor for Metabolic Syndrome (MetS). However, it is unclear if the sedentary pattern measurement approach (posture vs. movement) impacts observed associations or if associations differ for Hispanic/Latino communities, who have higher risk of MetS.

Participants from the Community of Mine (CoM) study (N = 602) wore hip-based accelerometers for 14 days and completed MetS-associated biomarker assessment (triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol, waist circumference). Sedentary patterns were classified using both cutpoints (movement-based) and the Convolutional Neural Network Hip Accelerometer Posture (CHAP) algorithm (posture-based). We used logistic regression to estimate associations between MetS with sedentary patterns overall and stratified by Hispanic/Latino ethnicity.

CHAP and cutpoint sedentary patterns were consistently associated with MetS. When controlling for total sedentary time and moderate to vigorous physical activity, only CHAP-measured median sedentary bout duration (OR = 1.15, CI: 1.04, 1.28) was significant. In stratified analysis, CHAP-measured median bout duration and time spent in sedentary bouts ≥ 30 min were each associated with increased odds of MetS, but the respective associations were stronger for Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (OR = 1.71 and 1.48; CI = 1.28–2.31 and 1.12–1.98) than for non-Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (OR = 1.43 and 1.40; CI = 1.10–1.87 and 1.06–1.87).

The way sedentary patterns are measured can impact the strength and precision of associations with MetS. These differences may be larger in Hispanic/Latino ethnic groups and warrants further research to inform sedentary behavioral interventions in these populations.