Abstract
• Step volume (count) and intensity (cadence) are key dimensions of human walking behavior;
• Step counts and peak step cadence were inversely associated with obesity-related markers in older adults;
• These associations remained significant after adjusting for body mass index;
• Walking more, and at higher intensities tends to have a healthier body composition.
Objective: To investigate the associations between step counts (step volume; steps per day) and peak step cadence (step intensity; steps per minute) with total body fat, abdominal fat, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in community-dwelling older adults.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: Community-based setting.
Participants: A total of 158 older adults (mean age 66.2 ± 4.5 years) were included. All participants wore an accelerometer and completed body composition assessment using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
Main outcome measure(s): Steps per day and 30-min peak cadence were measured by hip-worn accelerometer for one week. Total body fat, abdominal fat, and VAT were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Generalized linear models were used for data analyses with adjustments for known cardiovascular risk factors.
Results: Each additional 1,000 steps per day was associated with lower values of total body fat (β = -575 g, p = 0.006), abdominal fat (β = -55 g, p = 0.038), and VAT mass (β = -47 g, p = 0.016) and volume (β = -50 cm3, p = 0.016). Each additional 10 steps per minute in peak 30-min cadence was associated with lower values of total body fat (β = -864 g, p = 0.002), abdominal fat (β = -93 g, p = 0.008), and VAT mass (β = -78 g, p=0.002) and volume (β = -83 cm3, p=0.002). All associations persisted after adjusting for body mass index (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Both step volume and intensity were inversely associated with obesity-related markers in older adults. Our findings suggest that walking more or faster may be associated with lower obesity-related markers in community-dwelling older adults.