Abstract Background Nocturia is a prevalent lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) and exhibits a high incidence rate. Although studies on physical activity (PA) and prevalent LUTS suggested that PA may protect against the development of this common condition, few have specifically explored its association with nocturia. The primary objectives of this research were to explore the relationship between metabolic equivalent (MET) and the risk of nocturia and identify the optimal level of MET for PA linked to a lower risk of nocturia. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was performed utilizing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning 2007 to 2014 to investigate the potential link between PA and nocturia. PA was represented by the weekly total MET. The non-linear association between MET and nocturia was assessed using a restricted cubic spline (RCS) dose–response curve. In addition, a weighted multivariate logistic regression model and subgroup analyses were employed to evaluate the association between different levels of MET and nocturia. Finally, the mediating roles of sleep duration and BMI in the relationship between MET levels and nocturia were explored. Results The RCS analysis revealed a non-linear relationship between MET and nocturia, identifying two inflection points of 1500 and 11,000 MET*minutes/week. The results of weighted multivariate logistic regression showed a significant negative correlation between a moderate level of MET (1500–11000 MET*minutes/week) and the risk of nocturia (OR = 0.883, 95% CI 0.804–0.969, P = 0.010). Subgroup analyses and interaction analyses did not reveal heterogeneity. Furthermore, mediation analyses revealed that BMI played a mediating role in the negative correlation between moderate MET and nocturia (Proportion of mediation = 16.084%). Conclusions This cross-sectional study indicates that there is a significant negative correlation between PA at a moderate MET level (1500–11000 MET*minutes/week) and nocturia risk. This finding may have implications for guiding clinical strategies for nocturia prevention.
Ren et al. (Mon,) studied this question.