Association Between Daily Time Spent in Sedentary Behavior and Duration of Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes

Exercise and sedentary behavior have different physiologic effects, which have yet to be fully explained. Time spent in sedentary behavior has been associated with glucose intolerance in adults at risk for type 2 diabetes, but these data have come largely from cross-sectional studies that have not explored this relationship in adults with diabetes. The specific aim of this study was to examine the relationship between time spent in sedentary behavior and glucose levels in adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over 3-5 days. Methods: Using continuous and concurrent data gathered from wrist accelerometry and a Continuous Glucose-Monitoring Sensor (CGMS), we conducted a longitudinal, descriptive study involving 86 patients with type 2 diabetes. Results: More time spent in sedentary behavior was predictive of significant increases in time spent in hyperglycemia (B = 0.12, p < .05). Conclusions: These findings highlight the relationship between time spent sedentary and time spent in hyperglycemia, as identified through our use of objective, continuous data collection methods for both sedentary behavior and glucose levels across multiple days (Actiwatch, CGMS). For patients with type 2 diabetes, these findings emphasize the need for the development of individualized interventions aimed at decreasing the amount of time spent in hyperglycemia by reducing sedentary time.