eMouveRecherche: the first scientific application to promote light-intensity activity for the prevention of chronic diseases

Abstract

Physical inactivity and long sedentary time are involved in the development of chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to compare the intensity of spontaneous physical activity in two population samples consisting of 30 normal weight and 30 overweight or obese adults. Physical activity on an ordinary day was evaluated using the eMouveRecherche application that collected and sent smartphone accelerometry data to the ActivCollector Web platform via Internet. The algorithms implemented on the platform can accurately discriminate between sedentary and active behaviors, including their duration expressed in minutes and in percentage of waking period, in real time and ecological conditions. Physical activities are divided into four categories by the algorithms according to their intensity: immobility, light, moderate and vigorous intensity. The data were collected in 2013 and 2014 in Clermont-Ferrand and analyzed in 2015-2017. Time spent in only two categories was found to differ between the two populations. Immobile activities were longer in overweight than in normal weight participants (652 min vs. 504 min, 81.4% vs. 65.0%, p<0.0001). In contrast, the light-intensity activities were more popular in normal weight than in overweight participants (215 min vs. 124 min, 29.5% vs. 15.4%, p<0.0001). No difference was observed for either the moderate-or vigorous-intensity categories. BMI and waist circumference were positively correlated with immobility and negatively with light-intensity activities. The results provided additional interesting indications in terms of time spent in light-intensity activities associated with normal weight status and seem to support the positive effect of this activity category on health. Highlights• eMouveRecherche discriminates between normal-and overweight participants' activities.• Overweight and normal weight subjects are sedentary 80% and 65% of the time.• Light activities take up 29% and 15% of the time in normal and overweight subjects• No difference in time is spent in moderate activity in either weight status category• Long light-intensity activity is associated with lower BMI and waist circumference

Objective evaluation of the first post-lockdown on physical activity, sedentary behavior and food choice in a sample of French young adult students

“…Thus, this two-month lockdown did not lead to a sustainable low level of PA. In one of our previous works published in 2018, we showed that normal-weight adults (mean age 33 ± 9 years) in free-living conditions spent 65.2%, 29.4%, 4.9% and 0.4% in immobility, light-, moderate and vigorous- intensity activities, respectively ( Rousset et al, 2018 ). Compared to this activity split, that of the students post lockdown seems a little different for immobile and light intensity activity.…”

Comparison of Active and Sedentary Bout Lengths in Normal and Overweight Adults using eMouverecherche

“…In free-living conditions, Overweight (OW) individuals spent more time immobile (81% vs. 65% of the waking period) and twice less time in light-intensity activities than Normal-Weight (NW) individuals (15% vs. 29%). No difference in moderate or vigorous intensity activity was observed between the two groups [17]. Such gaps in time spent in immobile or light-intensity activities constitute a behavioral marker of BMI or fat mass.…”

“…Obese people are more sedentary than NW individuals [17,[19][20][21]. Belletiere, et al showed that often interrupting sitting posture was associated with lower BMI and waist circumference in an Australian adult cohort (AusDiab) [20].…”

“…As a reminder, the total percentage of time spent in sedentary behavior was lower in NW than in OW participants (65% vs. 82%) and vice versa for light-intensity activities (29% vs. 15%) [17]. In Table 1, we compared the proportions of the bouts according to their length in NW and OW participants.…”

“…There may be other behavioral markers of excess weight than the cumulative sedentary or lightly active time. The aim of the present work was to compare sedentary and active profiles in the same participants already studied by Rousset, et al [17], but this time according to the frequency and the length of sedentary, light, moderate and vigorous physical activity intensity periods. The authors hypothesized that the sedentary and active pattern would be different in NW and OW participants.…”