The Physical Activity Health Paradox in Type 2 Diabetes
(2025) In American Journal of Preventive Medicine 68(3). p.545-554- Abstract
Introduction: The physical activity health paradox refers to the contrasting associations of leisure-time physical activity and occupational physical activity with cardiovascular disease, but whether this applies to Type 2 diabetes risk is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the physical activity health paradox and age-specific Type 2 diabetes. Methods: Working adults (N=5,866) in Denmark aged 30–60 years enrolled in the Inter99 cohort at baseline in 1999 were followed in a Diabetes Register. Incidence rates of Type 2 diabetes as a function of age, sex, and separate and combined levels of self-reported occupational physical activity and leisure-time physical activity were modeled using Poisson regression, adjusting for relevant... (More)
Introduction: The physical activity health paradox refers to the contrasting associations of leisure-time physical activity and occupational physical activity with cardiovascular disease, but whether this applies to Type 2 diabetes risk is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the physical activity health paradox and age-specific Type 2 diabetes. Methods: Working adults (N=5,866) in Denmark aged 30–60 years enrolled in the Inter99 cohort at baseline in 1999 were followed in a Diabetes Register. Incidence rates of Type 2 diabetes as a function of age, sex, and separate and combined levels of self-reported occupational physical activity and leisure-time physical activity were modeled using Poisson regression, adjusting for relevant covariates in separate analyses (2024). Results: Moderate/vigorous leisure-time physical activity was associated with lower risk of Type 2 diabetes than light (rate ratio=0.63, 95% CI=0.46, 0.85). Strenuous occupational physical activity was associated with a slightly higher risk of Type 2 diabetes than moderate occupational physical activity, but the association diminished adjusted for covariates (rate ratio=1.12, 95% CI=0.79, 1.58). Sedentary leisure-time physical activity combined with any level of occupational physical activity was associated with higher risk of Type 2 diabetes than light leisure-time physical activity/moderate occupational physical activity combined (e.g., sedentary leisure-time physical activity and demanding occupational physical activity) (rate ratio=1.68, 95% CI=1.14, 2.48). Moderate/vigorous leisure-time physical activity combined with any level of occupational physical activity was associated with lower risk of Type 2 diabetes (e.g., moderate/vigorous leisure-time physical activity and moderate occupational physical activity) (rate ratio=0.6, 95% CI=0.39, 0.92). Conclusions: Leisure-time physical activity lowered the risk of Type 2 diabetes regardless of the level of occupational physical activity, whereas no similar beneficial effects were found for occupational physical activity level. The differential effects of occupational physical activity and leisure-time physical activity on Type 2 diabetes suggest that the paradox may also exist in Type 2 diabetes.
(Less)
- author
- Stage, Anna ; Wibaek, Rasmus ; Rønn, Pernille F. ; Bjørnsbo, Kirsten S. ; Brøns, Charlotte LU ; Allesøe, Karen ; Holtermann, Andreas ; Vaag, Allan A. LU ; Linneberg, Allan and Aadahl, Mette
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-03
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- American Journal of Preventive Medicine
- volume
- 68
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 10 pages
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:39955155
- scopus:85216946290
- ISSN
- 0749-3797
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.amepre.2024.11.018
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 36be3d2d-ce13-47f9-ad5a-4a12376f8218
- date added to LUP
- 2025-03-24 13:50:40
- date last changed
- 2025-06-30 19:53:25
@article{36be3d2d-ce13-47f9-ad5a-4a12376f8218,
abstract = {{<p>Introduction: The physical activity health paradox refers to the contrasting associations of leisure-time physical activity and occupational physical activity with cardiovascular disease, but whether this applies to Type 2 diabetes risk is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the physical activity health paradox and age-specific Type 2 diabetes. Methods: Working adults (N=5,866) in Denmark aged 30–60 years enrolled in the Inter99 cohort at baseline in 1999 were followed in a Diabetes Register. Incidence rates of Type 2 diabetes as a function of age, sex, and separate and combined levels of self-reported occupational physical activity and leisure-time physical activity were modeled using Poisson regression, adjusting for relevant covariates in separate analyses (2024). Results: Moderate/vigorous leisure-time physical activity was associated with lower risk of Type 2 diabetes than light (rate ratio=0.63, 95% CI=0.46, 0.85). Strenuous occupational physical activity was associated with a slightly higher risk of Type 2 diabetes than moderate occupational physical activity, but the association diminished adjusted for covariates (rate ratio=1.12, 95% CI=0.79, 1.58). Sedentary leisure-time physical activity combined with any level of occupational physical activity was associated with higher risk of Type 2 diabetes than light leisure-time physical activity/moderate occupational physical activity combined (e.g., sedentary leisure-time physical activity and demanding occupational physical activity) (rate ratio=1.68, 95% CI=1.14, 2.48). Moderate/vigorous leisure-time physical activity combined with any level of occupational physical activity was associated with lower risk of Type 2 diabetes (e.g., moderate/vigorous leisure-time physical activity and moderate occupational physical activity) (rate ratio=0.6, 95% CI=0.39, 0.92). Conclusions: Leisure-time physical activity lowered the risk of Type 2 diabetes regardless of the level of occupational physical activity, whereas no similar beneficial effects were found for occupational physical activity level. The differential effects of occupational physical activity and leisure-time physical activity on Type 2 diabetes suggest that the paradox may also exist in Type 2 diabetes.</p>}},
author = {{Stage, Anna and Wibaek, Rasmus and Rønn, Pernille F. and Bjørnsbo, Kirsten S. and Brøns, Charlotte and Allesøe, Karen and Holtermann, Andreas and Vaag, Allan A. and Linneberg, Allan and Aadahl, Mette}},
issn = {{0749-3797}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{545--554}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{American Journal of Preventive Medicine}},
title = {{The Physical Activity Health Paradox in Type 2 Diabetes}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2024.11.018}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.amepre.2024.11.018}},
volume = {{68}},
year = {{2025}},
}