BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between daily steps and aerobic steps, and anthropometric variables, using the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). METHODS: The participants in this cross-sectional study were taken the measurements of by a trained anthropologist and then instructed to wear an Omron pedometer for seven consecutive days. A series of statistical tests (Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, multiple comparisons of z' values and contingency tables) was performed in order to assess the relation between daily steps and aerobic steps, and anthropometric variables. RESULTS: A total of 507 individuals (380 females and 127 males) participated in the study. The average daily number of steps and aerobic steps was significantly lower in the individuals with risky WHR and WHtR as compared to the individuals with normal WHR (P=0.005) and WHtR (P=0.000). A comparison of age and anthropometric variables across aerobic steps activity categories was statistically significant for all the studied parameters. According to the contingency tables for normal steps, there is a 5.75x higher risk in the low-activity category of having WHtR>0.50 as compared to the high-activity category. CONCLUSIONS: Both normal and aerobic steps are significantly associated with central obesity and other body composition variables. This result is important for older people, who are more likely to perform low-intensity activities rather than moderate- or high-intensity activities. Our results also indicate that risk of having WHtR>0.50 can be reduced by almost 6x by increasing daily steps over 8985 steps per day.

1 Dept of Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

1 Dept of Preventive Medicine Faculty of Medicine Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic ; 2 Dept of Anthropology Faculty of Science Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic

See more in PubMed

Poirier P, Giles TD, Bray GA, Hong Y, Stern JS, Pi-Sunyer FX, et al. (2006). Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Effect of Weight Loss. Circulation, 113(6): 898–918. PubMed

Wimalawansa SJ (2013). Visceral adiposity and cardiometabolic risks: epidemic of abdominal obesity in North America. Res Rep Endocr Disord, 3: 17–30.

You T, Nicklas BJ, Ding J, Penninx BWJH, Goodpaster BH, Bauer DC, et al. (2008). The Metabolic Syndrome Is Associated With Circulating Adipokines in Older Adults Across a Wide Range of Adiposity. J Gerontol A BiolSci Med Sci, 63(4): 414–419. PubMed PMC

Radzevičiene L, Ostrauskas R (2013). Body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, waist-height ratio and risk for type 2 diabetes in women: A case-control study. Public Health, 127(3): 241–246. PubMed

Wang Y, Lobstein T (2006). Worldwide trends in childhood overweight and obesity. Int J Pediatr Obes, 1: 11–25. PubMed

Popkin BM, Adair LS, Shu Wen Ng (2012). Global nutrition transition and the pandemic of obesity in developing countries. Nutr Rev, 70(1): 3–21. PubMed PMC

Hjartaker A, Langseth H, Weiderpass, E (2008). Obesity and diabetes epidemics: cancer repercussions. Adv Exp Med Biol, 630: 72–93. PubMed

Ayabe M, Aoki J, Kumahara H, Yoshimura E, Matono S, Tobina T, et al. (2011). Minute-by-minute stepping rate of daily physical activity in normal and overweight/obese adults. Obes Res Clin Pract, 5(2): e151–156. PubMed

Jakicic JM, Otto AD, (2005). Physical activity considerations for the treatment and prevention of obesity. Am J Clin Nutr, 82(1): 226S–229S PubMed

Cordain L, Gotschall R, Eaton S (1998). Physical activity, energy expenditure and fitness: An evolutionary perspective. Int J Sports Med, 19(5): 328–335. PubMed

Eaton S, Eaton S (2003). An evolutionary perspective on human physical activity: implications for health. Comp Biochem Physiol A Physiol, 136(1): 153–159. PubMed

Hansen KC, Zhang ZM, Gomez T, Adams AK, Schoeller DA (2007). Exercise increases the proportion of fat utilization during short-term consumption of a high-fat diet. Am J Clin Nutr, 85(1): 109–116. PubMed

Slentz CA, Duscha BD, Johnson JL, Ketchum K, Aiken LB, Samsa GP, et al. (2004). Effects of the Amount of Exercise on Body Weight, Body Composition, and Measures of Central Obesity: STRRIDE--A Randomized Controlled Study. Arch Intern Med, 164(1): 31–39. PubMed

You TJ, Nicklas BJ (2008). Effects of Exercise on Adipokines and the Metabolic Syndrome. Curr Diabetes Rep, 8(1): 7–11. PubMed

Chang-Ho H, Wi-Young S (2012). Effects of Combined Exercise Training on Body Composition and Metabolic Syndrome Factors. Iran J Public Health, 41(8): 20–26. PubMed PMC

Haskell WL, Lee IM, Pate RP, Powell KE, Blair SN, Franklin BA, Macera CA, Heath GW, Thompson PD, Bauman A (2007). Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Circulation, 116(9): 1081–1093. PubMed

Pate RR, Pratt M, Blair SN, Haskell WL, Macera CA, Bouchard C, et al. (1995). Physical Activity and Public Health - A Recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine. JAMA, 273(5): 402–407. PubMed

Tudor-Locke C (2002). Taking Steps toward Increased Physical Activity: Using Pedometers To Measure and Motivate. Res Digest, 17(3): 1–8.

Welk GJ, Differding JA, Thompson RW, Blair SN, Dziura J, Hert P (2000). The utility of the Digi-Walker step counter to assess daily physical activity patterns. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 32(9): S481–488. PubMed

Tudor-Locke C, Camhi SM, Leonardi C, Johnson WD, Katzmarzyk PT, Earnest CP, et al. (2011). Patterns of adult stepping cadence in the 2005–2006 NHANES. Prev Med, 53(3): 178–181. PubMed

Marshall SJ, Levy SS, Tudor-Locke CE, Kolkhorst FW, Wooten KM, Ji M, et al. (2009). Translating Physical Activity Recommendations into a Pedometer-Based Step Goal: 3000 Steps in 30 Minutes. Am J Prev Med, 36(5): 410–415. PubMed

Rowe DA, Welk GJ, Heil DP, Mahar MT, Kemble CD, Calabrá MA, et al. (2011). Stride rate recommendations for moderate-intensity walking. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 43(2): 312–318. PubMed

World Health Organization (2011). Waist Circumference and Waist-hip Ratio: Report of a WHO Expert Consultation, Geneva, 8–11 December, 2008. Geneva, Switzerland, pp. 8–11.

Browning LM, Hsieh SD, Ashwell M (2010). A systematic review of waist-to-height ratio as a screening tool for the prediction of cardiovascular disease and diabetes: 0.5 could be a suitable global boundary value. Nutr Res Rev, 23(02): 247–269. PubMed

Clemes S, Hamilton S, Lindley M (2008). Four-week pedometer-determined activity patterns in normal-weight, overweight and obese adults. Prev Med, 46(4): 325–330. PubMed

Tudor-Locke C, Ainsworth B, Whitt M, Thompson R, Addy C, Jones D (2001). The relationship between pedometer-determined ambulatory activity and body composition variables. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 25(11): 1571–1578. PubMed

Chan CB, Spangler E, Valcour J, Tudor-Locke C (2003). Cross-sectional Relationship of Pedometer-Determined Ambulatory Activity to Indicators of Health. Obesity, 11(12): 1563–1570. PubMed

Duchečková P, Forejt M, Bienertová-Vašků J (2012). Physical activity and obesity: comparison between different approaches. Anthropologie, 48(3): 231–238.

Yoshioka M, Ayabe M, Yahiro T, Higuchi H, Higaki Y, St-Amand J, et al. (2005). Long-period accelerometer monitoring shows the role of physical activity in overweight and obesity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord, 29(5): 502–508. PubMed

Ibrahim MM (2010). Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue: structural and functional differences. Obes Rev, 11(1): 11–18. PubMed

Mathieu P, Lemieux I, Després J-P (2010). Obesity, Inflammation, and Cardiovascular Risk. Clin Pharmacol Ther, 87(4): 407–416. PubMed

Carr DB, Utzschneider KM, Hull RL, Kodama K, Retzlaff BM, Brunzell JD, et al. (2004). Intra-abdominal fat is a major determinant of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria for the metabolic syndrome. Diabetes, 53: 2087–2094. PubMed

Vague J (1956). The degree of masculine differentiation of obesities: a factor determining predisposition to diabetes, atherosclerosis, gout, and uric calculous disease. Am J Clin Nutr, 4(1): 20–34. PubMed

Welborn TA, Dhaliwal SS, Bennett SA (2003). Waist-hip ratio is the dominant risk factor predicting cardiovascular death in Australia. Med J Aust, 179 (11–12): 580–585. PubMed

Lapidus L, Bengtsson C, Larsson B, Pennert K, Rybo E, Sjostrom L (1984). Distribution of adipose tissue and risk of cardiovascular disease and death: a 12 year follow up of participants in the population study of women in Gothenburg, Sweden. BMJ, 289(6454): 1257–1261. PubMed PMC

Larsson B, Svardsudd K, Welin L, Wilhelmsen L, Bjorntorp P, Tibblin G (1984). Abdominal adipose tissue distribution, obesity, and risk of cardiovascular disease and death: 13 year follow up of participants in the study of men born in 1913. BMJ, 288(6428): 1401–1404. PubMed PMC

Bennasar-Veny M, Lopez-Gonzalez AA, Tauler P, Cespedes ML, Vicente-Herrero T, Yanez A, Tomas-Salva M, Aguilo A (2013). Body Adiposity Index and Cardiovascular Health Risk Factors in Caucasians: A Comparison with the Body Mass Index and Others. PLoS ONE, 8(5): e63999. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063999. PubMed DOI PMC

Ashwell M, Gunn P, Gibson S (2012). Waist-to-height ratio is a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI for adult cardiometabolic risk factors: systematic review and meta-analysis, Obes Rev, 13(3): 275–286. PubMed

Thompson DL, Rakow J, Perdue SM (2004). Relationship between accumulated walking and body composition in middle-aged women. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 36(5): 911–914. PubMed

Wells JCK (2007). Sexual dimorphism of body composition. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab, 21(3): 415–430. PubMed