Compositional data analysis of 24-h movement behaviors and cognitive performance in middle-aged employees: the cardiovascular risk in Young Finns study

The relevance of 24-h movement behavior composition for cognitive performance in midlife remains unclear, particularly when considering occupational and leisure-time contexts for waking behaviors. This study examined associations between device-measured movement behaviors and cognitive performance in middle-aged employees, with analyses stratified by sex and occupational physical workload, and evaluated whether reallocating time between movement behaviors was associated with overall cognitive performance and specific cognitive domains. Cross-sectional data from 1,014 participants (aged 41–58 years; 60% women) from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (2018–2020) were analyzed. Seven-day accelerometer data were used to estimate sleep duration, occupational and leisure-time sedentary time (ST), light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). cognitive performance, including learning and memory, working memory, reaction time, and information processing, was assessed using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Compositional data analysis was applied to examine associations between movement behaviors and cognitive domains. Isotemporal substitution models estimated cognitive performance associated with 60-min reallocations. Analyses were stratified by sex and occupational physical workload categories and adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related variables. Among men, occupational LPA was inversely associated with reaction time ( β =− 0.14, p = 0.001) and information processing ( β =− 0.10, p = 0.014), whereas among women, occupational ST was positively associated with learning and memory ( β = 0.10, p = 0.022). Among sedentary workers, occupational LPA was inversely associated with overall cognitive performance ( β =− 0.10, p = 0.019), learning and memory ( β =− 0.08, p = 0.039), and information processing ( β =− 0.13, p = 0.001). In workers with standing/moving occupations, leisure-time ST was associated with better overall cognitive performance ( β = 0.23, p = 0.028) and working memory ( β = 0.24, p = 0.020), whereas leisure-time LPA was inversely associated with reaction time ( β =−0.20, p = 0.043). Among workers with physically demanding occupations, occupational ST was associated with better learning and memory ( β = 0.13, p = 0.019). Reallocating time from occupational LPA to ST or MVPA was associated with modest cognitive benefits, particularly among men ( p < 0.05) and sedentary workers ( p < 0.05). Associations between movement behaviors and cognitive performance were generally small and context-dependent, varying by sex and occupational physical workload. The findings highlight the importance of considering the context in which movement behaviors are accumulated when examining their relationship with cognitive performance.