Although the relationship between physical activity or television watching and the risk of type 2 diabetes is well known, few studies have examined this question in a sample of black women. Investigators of the Black Women’s Health Study, which is a cohort of 45,668 black women followed biennially from 1995 to 2005, reported that vigorous activity was negatively associated with type 2 diabetes, with an incidence rate ratio for ≥7 hours/week of 0.43 (95% CI: 0.31-0.59) compared to no activity. Brisk walking for ≥5 hours/week was also associated with a reduced type 2 diabetes risk (incidence rate ratio=0.67, 95% CI: 0.49-0.92) compared to no walking. Television watching was unfavourably associated with risk of type 2 diabetes. For instance, the incidence rate ratio was 1.86 (95% CI: 1.54-2.24) for ≥5 hours/day relative to <1 hour/day, irrespective of physical activity level. These results lend weight to the notion that being physically active and creating opportunities to be less sedentary are likely to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Documentation centre