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Associations of reallocating sedentary leisure-time to alternative discretionary movement behaviours with incident cardiometabolic diseases in 0.5 million Chinese adults

Abstract:

Background

In Chinese adults, there is a considerable burden of sedentary behaviour. This study aimed to estimate the implications of reallocating sedentary leisure-time to non-sedentary behaviours for incident cardiometabolic diseases.

Methods

A prospective cohort study of 462,370 Chinese adults (mean age 51 years; 59% female) who were free from diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at baseline. Isotemporal substitution Cox regression models were used to estimate the associations of reallocating self-reported sedentary leisure-time to the same amount of sleep, housework, Taichi, or conventional exercise (e.g., walking, jogging, ball games, swimming) with the risk of incident diabetes, stroke, and myocardial infarction (MI). The results are reported as adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals per 30 min/day time exchanges. Potential impact fractions were calculated to estimate the proportional reductions in incident disease cases associated with time substitutions, assuming causality.

Findings

During >5.25 million person-years of follow-up, 19,738 incident diabetes, 51,460 stroke, and 6,767 MI cases were accrued. Lower disease risks were found for replacement of sedentary leisure-time by sleep (diabetes: 0.97 [0.95-0.99], stroke: 0.98 [0.97-0.99], MI: 0.97 [0.94-0.99]; in participants who slept <7 hours/day), housework (diabetes: 0.97 [0.97-0.98], stroke: 0.99 [0.98-0.99], MI: 0.97 [0.95-0.98]), Taichi (diabetes: 0.97 [0.95-0.99], stroke: 0.98 [0.97-0.99], MI: 0.95 [0.92-0.98]), or conventional exercise (diabetes: 0.97 [0.95-0.99], stroke: 0.97 [0.95-0.98], MI: 0.92 [0.88-0.96]). Potential impact fractions ranged from an estimated 3.5% (95% confidence interval: 3.1-3.9%) fewer cases of incident stroke when replacing sedentary leisure-time with housework, to an estimated 9.6% (5.9-13.3%) fewer cases of incident MI when reallocating sedentary leisure-time to conventional exercise.

Interpretation

Replacing sedentary leisure-time with behaviours such as housework, Taichi, sleep (in short sleepers) and conventional exercise is associated with lower risks of common cardiometabolic diseases in Chinese adults. Prevention strategies should be developed to promote movement behaviours and optimal levels of sleep at the expense of sedentary leisure-time.

Funding

This analysis was supported by a Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF) Research Fellowship (grant no: 06200087).
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101524

Authors


Contributors


More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/03x94j517
Grant:
MC_U137686851
MC_UU_00006/1
MC_UU_00017/1
MC_UU_12026/2
MC_UU_00006/4
More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/05m8dr349
Grant:
NIHR203312
More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/02wdwnk04
Grant:
CH/1996001/9454
More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/054225q67
Grant:
C16077/A29186
C500/A16896
More from this funder
Funder identifier:
https://ror.org/01h0zpd94
Grant:
82192900
82192901
82192904


Publisher:
Elsevier
Journal:
Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific More from this journal
Volume:
57
Article number:
101524
Publication date:
2025-03-23
Acceptance date:
2025-03-03
DOI:
EISSN:
2666-6065


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
2095319
Local pid:
pubs:2095319
Deposit date:
2025-03-19

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