Physical activity, sedentary behavior and all-cause mortality among blacks and whites with diabetes

PurposeThe study objective was to examine the role of physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST) on mortality risk among a population of low-income adults with diabetes.MethodsBlack (n = 11,137) and white (n = 4508) men and women with diabetes from the Southern Community Cohort Study self-reported total PA levels and total ST. Participants were categorized into quartiles of total PA and total ST. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for subsequent mortality risk were estimated from Cox proportional hazards analysis with adjustment for potential confounders.ResultsDuring follow-up, 2370 participants died. The multivariable risk of mortality was lower among participants in the highest quartile of PA compared with those in the lowest quartile (HR, 0.64; 95% CI: 0.57–0.73). Mortality risk was significantly increased among participants in the highest compared with the lowest quartile of ST after adjusting for PA (HR, 1.21; 95% CI: 1.08–1.37). Across sex and race groups, similar trends of decreasing mortality with rising PA and increasing mortality with rising ST were observed.ConclusionsAlthough causality cannot be established from these observational data, the current findings suggest that increasing PA and decreasing ST may help extend survival among individuals with diabetes irrespective of race and sex.