In this large prospective study of black women, vigorous physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Walking at a brisk pace, but not slow walking, was also associated with a reduction in risk. The risk of type 2 diabetes was increased among women who spent an appreciable amount of time watching television, and this increase was apparent at every level of physical activity.
The present findings on vigorous physical activity in black women are consistent with those reported for white women in previous studies (
4,
5,
7,
9,
12–
14). Results from the Diabetes Prevention Program trial showed that a lifestyle intervention consisting of diet and physical activity was effective in reducing the incidence of diabetes among all racial subgroups, including African Americans (
10). In the Women's Health Initiative observational cohort, there was no significant association among African-American women, but statistical power was limited because there were only 395 diabetic cases among the black women (
13). The Women's Health Initiative cohort included only postmenopausal women, but this does not explain the difference between their results and ours. We found an inverse association of physical activity with diabetes in both pre- and postmenopausal women. The other epidemiologic studies that have included an appreciable number of black women have been cross-sectional in design (
5,
6).
We had enough statistical power to assess the association of physical activity and type 2 diabetes within strata of body mass index, and we found that physical activity is beneficial regardless of body mass index. Previous studies of physical activity and diabetes that have assessed physical activity within strata of body mass index have provided inconsistent results (
3,
4,
9,
12).
Our results showing that walking at a brisk pace is associated with a reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes are consistent with findings on white women from the Nurses’ Health Study (
7). The Women's Health Initiative did not find a significant association of walking with diabetes risk in black women, but statistical power was limited (
13).
The positive association between television watching and type 2 diabetes risk in our study of black women is similar to that found in 2 previous studies of white women (
24) and men (
25). Importantly, this association was independent of physical activity and other known risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
Body mass index, which is influenced in part by levels of physical activity and is a strong independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes, may be an intermediate in the association of physical activity and diabetes or a confounder of the association. When we controlled for body mass index in multivariable analyses, the association between physical activity and type 2 diabetes was reduced slightly, but a strong inverse association still remained. In addition, the inverse association of physical activity with diabetes risk was present at all levels of body mass index, including the <25 category of body mass index where confounding from body mass index would be smallest. The latter 2 observations suggest that confounding, if present, played a minor role in the present study and that mechanisms other than body mass index may also play a role in the reduction in risk.
The relation between type 2 diabetes and physical activity may be mediated through increased insulin sensitivity due to increases in levels of the glucose transporter protein GLUT-4 and muscle glycogen synthase activity, a decrease in serum triglyceride concentration, and an increase in muscle capillary network (
15,
26). Physical activity can also lead to weight loss or maintenance of a healthy weight (
27), which in turn can lead to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
The positive association between television watching and type 2 diabetes might be explained by 2 mechanisms (
28). First, television watching is related to a lower expenditure of energy, which in turn can lead to obesity, weight gain, and increased risk of diabetes. Adjustment for body mass index attenuated the incidence rate ratios in our study; this is compatible with the association of television watching with type 2 diabetes being at least partially mediated through obesity. Another possible mechanism is that television watching leads to a higher caloric intake and a relatively unhealthy dietary pattern. Participants in our study who watched more television had a higher energy intake and a higher fat and carbohydrate intake as compared with those who watched no television.
One of the main strengths of our study is the prospective study design, which reduces the potential of recall bias. In addition, the BWHS has high follow-up rates that reduce the possibility of bias resulting from selective losses. The sample size was large, providing excellent statistical power to assess effects overall and in subgroups. We were able to adjust for a large number of possible confounding variables.
Physical activity was self-reported. Because we had repeated measures of physical activity, we were able to get a better representation of long-term physical activity. Our validation study showed significant correlations of questionnaire responses with diary and actigraph measurement of physical activity. Nonetheless, measurement errors are likely but should be nondifferential, which would move estimates for the highest exposure categories toward the null. To the extent that there was misclassification of exposure, the true association of activity with diabetes risk may be even stronger than shown here.
Identification of type 2 diabetes cases was based on self-report. A validation study indicated that type 2 diabetes was reported with a high degree of accuracy. Some women with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes were undoubtedly misclassified as noncases, but the prevalence of undiagnosed disease was likely to be low (
29). Physicians are well aware of the high risk of diabetes among African-American women, and it seems likely that BWHS participants were screened for the disease during the course of regular check-ups. Access to health care is quite good among BWHS participants: 93% reported that they had health insurance in 1997, and 98% reported that they had visited a physician/hospital in the past 2 years.
The BWHS participants were from 17 states across the United States with approximately equal numbers living in the Northeast, South, West, and Midwest. In addition, 97% of the participants have completed high school or a higher level of education. Among the US black female population of the same ages, 83% have at least a high school education (
30). In this respect, our results should be applicable to most US black women, except possibly the approximately 17% who have not completed high school.
The present observational findings suggest that physical activity may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in African-American women, a population at high risk of the disease. Recent recommendations for physical activity for adults include “moderate-intensity physical activities for at least 30 minutes on 5 or more days of the week” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and “vigorous-intensity physical activity 3 or more days per week for 20 or more minutes per occasion” (Healthy People 2010) (
31). Like the majority of adults in the United States, most African-American women do not meet recommended levels of physical activity. Our results for vigorous activity and brisk walking suggest that levels approximating those recommended might indeed be protective against type 2 diabetes. Regular brisk walking may be easier to implement than vigorous physical activity. Reducing sedentary behaviors, such as television watching, or at least reducing the excess eating that often accompanies it, might also be effective. A necessary first step for the translation of scientific findings into behavioral change is dissemination of the health information to those affected, and the current results provide the basis for educating African-American women about the benefits of physical activity in preventing type 2 diabetes.