Background: The association between objectively measured bouted (at least 10 min in duration) and non-bouted (<10 min in duration) physical activity with multimorbidity is unknown, which was the purpose of this study.
Methods: Data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were employed (n = 4 584 adults). Bouted physical activity and non-bouted physical activity were assessed via accelerometry, with multimorbidity assessed via physician diagnosis and laboratory data.
Results: For the ordinal regression model, and after adjustment, both non-bouted moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; βadjusted = -0·63; 95% CI: -0·79 to -0·48; P<0·001) and bouted MVPA (βadjusted = -0·43; 95% CI: -0·63 to -0·23; P<0·001) were independently associated with multimorbidity. In a multivariable logistic regression, both non-bouted MVPA (ORadjusted = 0·59; 95% CI: 0·48-0·72; P<0·001) and bouted MVPA (ORadjusted = 0·66; 95% CI: 0·52-0·84; P = 0·001) were associated with a reduced odds of being multimorbid.
Conclusion: Both bouted MVPA and non-bouted MVPA were associated with reduced odds of multimorbidity, underscoring the importance of promoting both types of physical activity.
Keywords: accelerometry; chronic disease; epidemiology; physical activity.
© 2016 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.