Table 3 Descriptive statistics of the physical activity behaviour variables stratified by sex

Conventional variables

Time spent in SB (h/day)

12.1 (11.2, 13.1)

11.8 (10.9, 12.7)

12.5 (11.7, 13.5)

 < 0.001*

Time spent in MVPA (h/day)

1.33 (0.95, 1.80)

1.36 (0.98, 1.86)

1.29 (0.93, 1.72)

 < 0.050*

Average acceleration (mg)

25.3 (21.1, 30.1)

26.1 (22.1, 30.6)

24.5 (20.2, 29.5)

 < 0.001*

WIPAB

Activity intensity

Intensity gradient

− 2.64 (− 2.77, − 2.51)

− 2.66 (− 2.78, − 2.53)

− 2.62 (− 2.76, − 2.47)

 < 0.010*

M8 (mg)

44.3 (36.7, 53.1)

45.8 (38.5, 53.5)

42.6 (35.1, 52.9)

 < 0.010*

M0.25 (mg)

128.3 (101.3, 172.3)

128.0 (101.2, 169.5)

128.4 (101.4, 178.9)

0.466

Accumulation pattern

PLE alpha SB

2.43 (2.29, 2.60)

2.42 (2.30, 2.60)

2.44 (2.28, 2.60)

0.865

PLE alpha MVPA

4.88 (3.52, 7.12)

5.04 (3.73, 7.20)

4.72 (3.36, 6.91)

 < 0.050*

Proportions (%)

 SB > 60 min

26.0 (19.1, 33.6)

24.8 (17.2, 32.6)

27.4 (20.7, 35.0)

 < 0.001*

 MVPA > 10 min

2.93 (0.00, 20.22)

3.00 (0.00, 18.89)

2.83 (0.00, 22.30)

0.546

Gini index SB

0.41 (0.36, 0.46)

0.40 (0.36, 0.45)

0.42 (0.38, 0.47)

 < 0.001*

Temporal correlation and regularity in the time series

Scaling exponent alpha

 < 90 min

0.96 (0.91, 1.03)

0.96 (0.92, 1.02)

0.96 (0.90, 1.03)

0.425

 > 120 min

0.98 (0.86, 1.07)

0.99 (0.88, 1.08)

0.95 (0.82, 1.06)

 < 0.001*

Autocorrelation (lag 24 h)

0.13 (0.10, 0.17)

0.15 (0.11, 0.18)

0.12 (0.09, 0.15)

 < 0.001*

LZC†

0.17 (0.04)

0.18 (0.04)

0.16 (0.04)

 < 0.001*

Sample entropy

− 0.39 (− 0.64, 0.15)

− 0.37 (− 0.62, 0.14)

− 0.42 (− 0.65, 0.16)

0.785

Symbolic dynamics 2UV (%)

4.21 (3.48, 5.00)

4.55 (3.75, 5.18)

3.91 (3.12, 4.70)

 < 0.001*