Accumulation patterns of sedentary time and breaks and their association with cardiometabolic health markers in adults

Breaking up sedentary time with physical activity (PA) could modify the detrimental cardiometabolic health effects of sedentary time. Our aim was to identify profiles according to distinct accumulation patterns of sedentary time and breaks in adults, and to investigate how these profiles are associated with cardiometabolic outcomes. Participants (n = 4439) of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 at age 46 years wore a hip‐worn accelerometer for 7 consecutive days during waking hours. Uninterrupted ≥1‐min sedentary bouts were identified, and non‐sedentary bouts in between two consecutive sedentary bouts were considered as sedentary breaks. K‐means clustering was performed with 65 variables characterizing how sedentary time was accumulated and interrupted. Linear regression was used to determine the association of accumulation patterns with cardiometabolic health markers. Four distinct groups were formed as follows: “Couch potatoes” (n = 1222), “Prolonged sitters” (n = 1179), “Shortened sitters” (n = 1529), and “Breakers” (n = 509). Couch potatoes had the highest level of sedentariness and the shortest sedentary breaks. Prolonged sitters, accumulating sedentary time in bouts of ≥15–30 min, had no differences in cardiometabolic outcomes compared with Couch potatoes. Shortened sitters accumulated sedentary time in bouts lasting <15 min and performed more light‐intensity PA in their sedentary breaks, and Breakers performed more light‐intensity and moderate‐to‐vigorous PA. These latter two profiles had lower levels of adiposity, blood lipids, and insulin sensitivity, compared with Couch potatoes (1.1–25.0% lower values depending on the cardiometabolic health outcome, group, and adjustments for potential confounders). Avoiding uninterrupted sedentary time with any active behavior from light‐intensity upwards could be beneficial for cardiometabolic health in adults.