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TL;DR
However, seasonal changes in physical activity were not significant predictors, and the increases in body fat from summer to winter were not reversed by spring.
JAR life · 5 authors, 2 centres
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However, seasonal changes in physical activity were not significant predictors, and the increases in body fat from summer to winter were not reversed by spring.
This longitudinal cohort study aimed to determine if age and seasonal changes in sedentary activity (sedAct), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and energy intake (EI) predict changes in percentage body fat (%BF) in midlife women. Participants were 52 women aged 40-60 years observed over one year in North Dakota, with %BF measured by DXA each season. The main finding from hierarchical multiple regression was that greater age (β = 0.310, p = 0.021) and increases in EI from summer to fall (β = 0.427, p = 0.002) were significant predictors of increased %BF from summer to spring. Changes in MVPA and sedAct did not significantly predict %BF changes. Repeated measures ANCOVA showed that the mean increase in %BF from summer (M = 37.7263) to winter (M = 38.1463) was not reversed by spring (M = 37.8761). Secondary analyses confirmed seasonal patterns: sedAct increased and MVPA decreased in winter compared to summer. Limitations include a small, geographically specific sample and a 9-month observation window. The study suggests that for midlife women, limiting increases in energy intake, particularly in the fall, may be important for managing age-related increases in body fat.