Association between weekend warrior physical activity pattern and all-cause mortality among adults living with type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study from NHANES 2007 to 2018

Abstract Background It is uncertain whether the weekend warrior pattern is associated with all-cause mortality among adults living with type 2 diabetes. This study explored how the ‘weekend warrior’ physical activity (PA) pattern was associated with all-cause mortality among adults living with type 2 diabetes. Methods This prospective cohort study investigated US adults living with type 2 diabetes in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Mortality data was linked to the National Death Index. Based on self-reported leisure-time and occupational moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), participants were categorized into 3 groups: physically inactive (< 150 min/week of MVPA), weekend warrior (≥ 150 min/week of MVPA in 1 or 2 sessions), and physically active (≥ 150 min/week of MVPA in 3 or more sessions). Results A total of 6067 participants living with type 2 diabetes [mean (SD) age, 61.4 (13.5) years; 48.0% females] were followed for a median of 6.1 years, during which 1206 deaths were recorded. Of leisure-time and occupational activity, compared with inactive individuals, hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality were 0.49 (95% CI 0.26–0.91) and 0.57 (95% CI 0.38–0.85) for weekend warrior individuals, and 0.55 (95% CI 0.45–0.67) and 0.64 (95% CI 0.53–0.76) for regularly active individuals, respectively. However, when compared leisure-time and occupational weekend warrior with regularly active participants, the HRs were 0.82 (95% CI 0.42–1.61) and 1.00 (95% CI 0.64–1.56) for all-cause mortality, respectively. Conclusions Weekend warrior PA pattern may have similar effects on lowering all-cause mortality as regularly active pattern among adults living with type 2 diabetes, regardless of leisure-time or occupational activity. Therefore, weekend warrior PA pattern may be sufficient to reduce all-cause mortality for adults living with type 2 diabetes.