Age-specific association of physical activity on visceral obesity: Cross-sectional study

• Published in: Obesity medicine Vol. 48; p. 100542
• Main Authors: Moon, Hana, Cho, Yoon Jeong, Kim, Yun-A, Ju, Min Jeong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2024
• Subjects: Abdominal obesity; Age; Body composition; International physical activity questionnaire; Obesity; Physical activity; Visceral fat area; Visceral obesity; Abdominal obesity; Obesity; International physical activity questionnaire; Physical activity; Visceral fat area; Age; Visceral obesity; Body composition
• ISSN: 2451-8476; 2451-8476
• DOI: 10.1016/j.obmed.2024.100542

Obesity is a chronic disease that needs to be managed worldwide. High-intensity physical activity has a positive effect on the improvement and prevention of metabolic diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the age-specific association of physical activity on abdominal and visceral obesity.
The study involved 456 health check-up participants who underwent abdominal computed tomography scans for the assessment of visceral fat area from January 2017 to December 2017. Physical activity levels were categorized as none-to-low-intensity or moderate-to-vigorous-intensity based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for covariates, assessed the association of physical activity with abdominal and visceral obesity across 10-year age intervals.
The moderate-to-vigorous physical activity group showed 56.5% visceral obesity, while the none-to-low-intensity physical activity group had 63.2%. Most age groups exhibited no significant differences in abdominal or visceral obesity according to physical activity. However, the 50 to 59 age group demonstrated a noteworthy association between visceral obesity and none-to-low-intensity physical activity (odds ratio 3.79, 95% confidence interval 1.12–12.84).
This study highlights a distinct age-related response to physical activity, emphasizing the 50 to 59 age group's significant association between visceral obesity and none-to-low-intensity physical activity.
•Age-specific association of physical activity on abdominal and visceral obesity investigated.•Health check-up data from 456 adults, utilizing abdominal CT scans for visceral fat area assessment.•Noteworthy findings: 50 to 59 age group shows a significant link between visceral obesity and low-intensity physical activity. 56.5% visceral obesity in moderate-to-vigorous group, 63.2% in none-to-low group.