The article “Correlates of accelerometer-assessed physical activity and sedentary time among adults with type 2 diabetes” by Mathe et al. refers to the global issue of the prevention of diabetes and its complications. The authors investigate the level of physical activity among adults living with type 2 diabetes in Alberta, Canada, as well as the impact of socio-demographic characteristics on it (Mathe et al., 2017). I found a few facts that I found interesting and concerning in the context of the article. First, Mathe et al. found that only 10% of respondents followed the CDA’s recommendation for moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). These numbers are concerning as they can reflect the physical activity of not only people with diabetes but other older adults, which only increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. At the same time, it is interesting that the MVPA norm is only 150 minutes per week, or about 20 minutes per day, which is an easy task even for older adults (Mathe et al., 2017). Probably, these figures are so low due to people’s ignorance of the norms of activity; thus, this fact can be used in programs for the prevention of diabetes and its complications.
However, I also noticed some concerning points in collecting and analyzing information in the article. The authors noted that the disadvantage of the accelerometer is that it can make errors in measurements and that activity measures are defined by norms for young people (Mathe et al., 2017). Hence, it is likely that older people spend more time on MVPAs as the same workload for younger and older people can have significantly different effects. Thus, possibly, the accelerometer did not capture moderate activity data for more senior people due to incorrect settings. Therefore, in this case, the results of the study may be inaccurate. Nevertheless, in general, the article seemed to be relevant for the analysis of the issue of diabetes prevention and its consequences.
Reference
Mathe, N., Boyle, T., Al Sayah, F., Mundt, C., Vallance, J. K., Johnson, J. A., & Johnson, S. T. (2017). Correlates of accelerometer-assessed physical activity and sedentary time among adults with type 2 diabetes. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 108(4), 355–361.