Associations of season and region on objectively assessed physical activity and sedentary behaviour

Seasonal and regional variation may influence physical activity (PA) patterns. These associations are in need of further investigation. The objective of the current study was to examine the association of season and region on objectively measured PA. The study was designed as a cross-sectional study...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sports sciences 2014-04, Vol.32 (7), p.629-634
Main Authors: Hagströmer, Maria, Rizzo, Nico S., Sjöström, Michael
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
accelerometer
Accelerometers
Accelerometry
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Analysis of Variance
Body mass index
cross-sectional
Cross-Sectional Studies
Exercise
Female
health-enhancing physical activity
Humans
inactivity
Male
Middle Aged
Physical Exertion
Physical fitness
Regions
Seasons
Sedentary Lifestyle
Sweden
Variance analysis
Young Adult
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Seasonal and regional variation may influence physical activity (PA) patterns. These associations are in need of further investigation. The objective of the current study was to examine the association of season and region on objectively measured PA. The study was designed as a cross-sectional study with 1172 participants living in Sweden. Data on PA were collected throughout a calendar year using accelerometry. Regions were categorised as south (Götaland), central (Svealand) and north (Norrland). Outcome variables included accelerometer-measured mean counts per minute, sedentary time and time in low intensity and moderate-intensity physical activity (MVPA) or greater. ANCOVA was used to determine the associations of season and region with PA, adjusting for sex, age, body mass index (BMI) and education. The results showed that during the Spring season more time was spent in MVPA than during the Autumn. For participants living in the south of Sweden, a significant trend for season was found for MVPA, with Spring having the highest MVPA (P = 0.025). Season had a borderline significant association with MVPA or higher intensity activities (P = 0.051). No significant effects of region or season on total PA, low-intensity PA and sedentary periods of time were observed. The results indicate that studies conducted in a population living in high latitudes, may not be significantly affected by seasonality or region when assessing PA.
ISSN:0264-0414
1466-447X
DOI:10.1080/02640414.2013.844349