Roberto Refinetti1, Mamane Sani1,2, Girardin Jean-Louis3, Seithikurippu R Pandi-Perumal3, Ramon A Durazo-Arvizu4, Lara R Dugas4, Ruth Kafensztok4, Pascal Bovet5,6, Terrence E Forrester7, Estelle V Lambert8, Jacob Plange-Rhule9, Amy Luke4. 1. a Circadian Rhythm Laboratory, Department of Psychology , Boise State University , Boise , Idaho , USA. 2. b MRU Biomonitoring and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques of Maradi , Maradi , Niger. 3. c Division of Internal Medicine, Center for Healthful Behavior Change , New York University Medical Center , New York , New York , USA. 4. d Stritch School of Medicine , Loyola University Chicago , Maywood , Illinois , USA. 5. e Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital , Lausanne , Switzerland. 6. f Ministry of Health , Mont Fleuri , Republic of Seychelles. 7. g Tropical Medicine Research Institute, University of the West Indies , Mona , Kingston , Jamaica. 8. h Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, University of Cape Town , Cape Town , South Africa. 9. i School of Medical Sciences , Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology , Kumasi , Ghana.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Biological rhythmicity has been extensively studied in animals for many decades. Although temporal patterns of physical activity have been identified in humans, no large-scale, multi-national study has been published, and no comparison has been attempted of the ubiquity of activity rhythms at different time scales (such as daily, weekly, monthly, and annual). METHODS: Using individually worn actigraphy devices, physical activity of 2,328 individuals from five different countries (adults of African descent from Ghana, South Africa, Jamaica, Seychelles, and the United States) was measured for seven consecutive days at different times of the year. RESULTS: Analysis for rhythmic patterns identified daily rhythmicity of physical activity in all five of the represented nationalities. Weekly rhythmicity was found in some, but not all, of the nationalities. No significant evidence of lunar rhythmicity or seasonal rhythmicity was found in any of the groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings extend previous small-scale observations of daily rhythmicity to a large cohort of individuals from around the world. The findings also confirm the existence of modest weekly rhythmicity but not lunar or seasonal rhythmicity in human activity. These differences in rhythm strength have implications for the management of health hazards of rhythm misalignment.
BACKGROUND: Biological rhythmicity has been extensively studied in animals for many decades. Although temporal patterns of physical activity have been identified in humans, no large-scale, multi-national study has been published, and no comparison has been attempted of the ubiquity of activity rhythms at different time scales (such as daily, weekly, monthly, and annual). METHODS: Using individually worn actigraphy devices, physical activity of 2,328 individuals from five different countries (adults of African descent from Ghana, South Africa, Jamaica, Seychelles, and the United States) was measured for seven consecutive days at different times of the year. RESULTS: Analysis for rhythmic patterns identified daily rhythmicity of physical activity in all five of the represented nationalities. Weekly rhythmicity was found in some, but not all, of the nationalities. No significant evidence of lunar rhythmicity or seasonal rhythmicity was found in any of the groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings extend previous small-scale observations of daily rhythmicity to a large cohort of individuals from around the world. The findings also confirm the existence of modest weekly rhythmicity but not lunar or seasonal rhythmicity in human activity. These differences in rhythm strength have implications for the management of health hazards of rhythm misalignment.
Authors: Amy Luke; Pascal Bovet; Terrence E Forrester; Estelle V Lambert; Jacob Plange-Rhule; Dale A Schoeller; Lara R Dugas; Ramon A Durazo-Arvizu; David Shoham; Richard S Cooper; Soren Brage; Ulf Ekelund; Nelia P Steyn Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2011-12-14 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Lara R Dugas; Louise Lie; Jacob Plange-Rhule; Kweku Bedu-Addo; Pascal Bovet; Estelle V Lambert; Terrence E Forrester; Amy Luke; Jack A Gilbert; Brian T Layden Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2018-08-06 Impact factor: 3.295