Association between daily sitting time and urinary leakage: double mediation effects of inflammation and physical activity

HighlightsLonger daily sitting time is associated with increased risk of urinary leakage Physical activity mitigates the urinary leakage risk from prolonged sitting Inflammation mediates the link between sitting and urinary leakage BackgroundSedentary behavior (SB), recognized as a health risk, may contribute to urinary leakage (UL). This study examined the association between daily sitting time (DST) and UL risk, investigating inflammatory markers as mediators and leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) as a moderator. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 2007 to 2020, involving 23,417 participants. Information on UL, DST, Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), Body Mass Index (BMI), and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) was collected through standardized questionnaires and 24-hour recall interviews. Logistic regression models were employed to examine the relationship between DST, LTPA, and UL, adjusting for relevant covariates. Mediation analysis was conducted to assess the potential mediating effects of DII, BMI, and NLR on the association between DST and UL. ResultsThe overall prevalence of UL among participants was 29.19%. Our findings revealed a significant positive association between longer DST and UL risk. Notably, individuals engaging in adequate LTPA demonstrated an attenuated association between DST and UL. Furthermore, mediation analysis identified significant parallel double mediating effects of DII-BMI and BMI-NLR on the relationship between DST and UL. However, no significant mediating effect was observed for DII-NLR, this suggests that DII, BMI, and NLR might jointly mediate the impact of DST on UL risk. ConclusionsThese findings suggest that prolonged sitting may elevate UL risk through inflammatory mechanisms, and that LTPA may mitigate this risk. Further research is needed to validate these results and explore the underlying biological pathways.