Background characteristics of the participants by study group
| Characteristics | Study groups | ||||
| Exercise (n=87) | Control (n=83) | All (n=170) | p Value | Missing (n) | |
| Age: years (mean, SD) | 40.7 (6.0) | 41.6 (5.7) | 41.1 (5.9) | 0.361 | 0 |
| Sex: female | 80.5% | 78.3% | 79.4% | 0.972 | 0 |
| Civil status: married/cohabiting | 83.7% | 80.7% | 82.4% | 0.592 | 0 |
| Education: secondary school graduate | 79.3% | 81.9% | 80.6% | 0.672 | 0 |
| Professional degree: polytechnic or higher | 63.2% | 65.1% | 64.1% | 0.802 | 0 |
| Smoking: non-smoker | 80.5% | 88.0% | 84.1% | 0.182 | 0 |
| Elevated blood pressure (self-report): yes | 9.9% | 4.0% | 7.4% | 0.352 | 8 |
| Dizziness (self-report): yes | 13.6% | 13.6% | 13.6% | 1.002 | 8 |
| Use of medication (self-report): yes | 23.5% | 27.2% | 25.3% | 0.592 | 8 |
| Perceived fitness compared with same-age peers | |||||
| Higher or much higher | 14.8% | 27.8% | 21.3% | 0.0402 | 3 |
| Lower or much lower | 35.8% | 34.2% | 35.0% | 0.742 | 10 |
| Fulfilment of physical activity (PA) guidelines, self-report | 0.372 | ||||
| Aerobic type activity* | 22.6% | 23.2% | 22.9% | 3 | |
| Muscular exercise† | 15.5% | 25.6% | 20.6% | 3 | |
| Both aerobic and muscular | 9.5% | 9.8% | 9.7% | 3 | |
| Physically inactive (not meeting either guideline) | 52.4% | 41.5% | 46.9% | 3 | |
| Fulfilment of PA guidelines, accelerometer | |||||
| Aerobic type activity* | 29.4% | 26.7% | 28.6% | 0.702 | 10 |
| Other accelerometer measurements | |||||
| Mean daily sitting time during week days, accelerometer | 8 hour 42 min | 8 hour 54 min | 8 hour 48 min | 0.311 | 10 |
| Proportion of mean daily recording time (minimum 10 hours/day) | |||||
| Sedentary behaviour (lying/sitting) | 61.7% | 62.4% | 62% | 0.591 | 10 |
| Standing | 16.2% | 16.2% | 16.2% | 0.981 | 10 |
| Light intensity physical activity (METs,‡1.5–2.9) | 12.9% | 12.6% | 12.7% | 0.431 | 10 |
| Moderate intensity physical activity (METs, 3.0–5.9) | 8.5% | 8.1% | 8.3% | 0.341 | 10 |
| Vigorous intensity physical activity (METs, ≥6.0) | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.403 | 10 |
Statistical methods: 1indenpendent samples t-test, 2χ2 test, 3Mann-Whitney U test.
*Adults should be active several days (≥3 times) a week and accumulate 150 min of moderate or 75 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity (or their combination) of bouts ≥10 min.
†Muscle strengthening activity for large muscle groups twice a week (≥20 min/session) is recommended.
‡METs, that is, metabolic equivalents; 1 MET equals oxygen consumption of 3.5 mL/min/kg.