Patterns and associated factors of accelerometer-measured physical activity in the metropolitan areas of Singapore and Berlin – comparative analysis of the Singapore population health studies and the German National Cohort (NAKO)

TL;DR

This study compares physical activity levels and influencing factors in urban populations from Singapore and Berlin, finding significant differences in activity patterns and associated demographics.

Contribution

The study provides a comparative analysis of physical activity patterns and their sociodemographic determinants in two major metropolitan areas using harmonized accelerometer data.

Findings

Singaporeans engaged in more moderate-to-vigorous and light physical activity than Berlin residents.

Factors like ethnicity, employment, and weight influenced physical activity differently in the two cities.

Tailored strategies are needed to address inactivity and promote physical activity in urban populations.

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) plays a critical role in preventing non-communicable chronic diseases. However, engagement in PA differs widely between countries. The aim of this study was to examine PA patterns and associated factors in the urban populations of Singapore and Berlin, Germany.

This study used harmonized data from the Singapore Population Health Studies and the study center “Berlin-Mitte” of the German National Cohort Study (NAKO). PA was assessed with hip-worn accelerometers. Raw tri-axial accelerometry data was processed using the GGIR-R-package and classified into moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), and inactivity. Multivariable regression analyses were applied to analyze associations between sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and PA intensities.

The analyses included 1,195 (57.2% female, 46.6 ± 13.7 years) participants from Singapore and 2,060 (49.3% female, 49.9 ± 12.6 years) from Berlin. Singaporean participants engaged in more MVPA (+ 14.1 min [10.6;17.5] [95%-confidence interval]) and LPA (+ 66.2 min [57.4;74.9]) and less time inactive (-80.2 min [-90.0;-70.4]) than Berlin participants. In Singapore, more MVPA was associated with Chinese ethnicity and being employed, more LPA with male sex, normal weight, lower education and being married, while more inactivity was associated with female sex, overweight and non-smoking. In Berlin, more MVPA was associated with lower age, being employed, normal weight, and non-smoking, more LPA only with higher age, while singles, men, unemployed, and obese persons engaged in less LPA. Inactivity was associated with obesity and higher education.

Singaporean participants engaged more in both MVPA and LPA than those from Berlin. Factors associated with PA varied considerably between both urban populations but also in relation to PA intensities. These variations highlight the need for tailored PA promotion strategies that distinguish between reducing inactivity and increasing overall activity levels.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-025-22922-x.

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