Seasonality and objective physical activity and sedentary behavior among older adults from four European Countries

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to explore the relationship between objective physical activity and sedentary behaviour with seasonality among a sample of older adults living in four European countries. Methods: A sample of 169 older adults livingin Croatia, Greece, Portugal, and Poland (meanage=72.2±6.0,68%female)had valid objective physical activity and sedentary behaviour data collected in different seasons of the year: spring and autumn/winter. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were collected with accelerometers(ActiGraph,GT3X), over 7 consecutive days, in both periods. A valid record was defined as at least two weekdays and one weekend day with 10 h of wearing time. Analyses were performed with IBMSPSS28.0, usingt-test, ANOVA and binary logistic regressions. Results:Most older adults from the four countries met the physical activity guidelines in spring and autumn/winter. No significant variations were found across seasons for sedentary behaviour and physical activity both for light and vigorous intensity,regardless of sex, country, education, and body mass index(BMI). A decline in moderate physical activity intensity from spring to autumn/winter wasfound for those with lower education and higher BMI. Conclusion: The promotion of physical activity must be considered in programs to promote healthy aging throughout the year, especially considering the moderate intensity and those populations with higher BMIand lower educational levels.