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Background: To examine the association between accelerometer-assessed physical activity and visual acuity among a nationally representative sample of adults with evidence of diabetes. Methods: Six hundred seventy adult participants with diabetes (age 20 to 85) from the 2003-2006 NHANES cycles constituted the analyzed sample. Participants wore an accelerometer for 7 days to quantify time spent in sedentary behavior, light-intensity physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Visual acuity was objectively assessed for each eye. Results: In multivariable models, every 1-hour increment in daily sedentary behavior was associated with 23% greater likelihood (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.01-1.52) of having uncorrected refractive error as opposed to normal sight. Performing more than 5 minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was associated with a 82% lower likelihood of having vision impairment as opposed to normal sight (OR = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.06-0.50) while every 1-hour increment in daily light-intensity physical activity was, after adjustments, independently associated with a 38% lower likelihood of vision impairment (OR = 0.62; 95% CI: 0.42-0.92). Conclusion: People with diabetes spending more time in sedentary behavior and less time performing light or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity are more likely to have poorer vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies demonstrate a beneficial effect of physical activity (PA) on various biological health outcomes associated with diabetes; however, these studies have been limited by the use of self-report measures of PA. To provide the most accurate association between PA and health among adults with diabetes, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between accelerometer-assessed PA and numerous biological markers associated with diabetes. Data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Adult participants with diabetes were included in the present study and wore an ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer. Light and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) intensity was determined from accelerometer-derived estimates. Various biological measures, such as triglycerides and C-reactive protein, were measured from a blood sample. Results showed that both light-intensity and MVPA were inversely associated with several biological health outcomes. Additionally, active adults were less likely to have multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors. Findings also differed by age and gender, suggesting that PA interventions may need to consider the influence that age and gender may have on the efficacy of physical activity interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]