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Review
. 2018 Jun 25;15(1):58.
doi: 10.1186/s12966-018-0661-9.

The 2017 Dutch Physical Activity Guidelines

Rianne M Weggemans  1 , Frank J G Backx  2 , Lars Borghouts  3 , Mai Chinapaw  4 , Maria T E Hopman  5 , Annemarie Koster  6 , Stef Kremers  7 , Luc J C van Loon  6 , Anne May  2 , Arend Mosterd  8 , Hidde P van der Ploeg  4 , Tim Takken  2 , Marjolein Visser  9 , G C Wanda Wendel-Vos  10 , Eco J C de Geus  9 ; Committee Dutch Physical Activity Guidelines 2017
Affiliations
Review

The 2017 Dutch Physical Activity Guidelines

Rianne M Weggemans et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. .

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to derive evidence-based physical activity guidelines for the general Dutch population.

Methods: Two systematic reviews were conducted of English language meta-analyses in PubMed summarizing separately randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies on the relation between physical activity and sedentary behaviour on the one hand and the risk of all-cause mortality and incidence of 15 major chronic diseases and conditions on the other hand. Other outcome measures were risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, physical functioning, and fitness. On the basis of these reviews, an expert committee derived physical activity guidelines. In deriving the guidelines, the committee first selected only experimental and observational prospective findings with a strong level of evidence and then integrated both lines of evidence.

Results: The evidence found for beneficial effects on a large number of the outcome measures was sufficiently strong to draw up guidelines to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour, respectively. At the same time, the current evidence did not provide a sufficient basis for quantifying how much physical activity is minimally needed to achieve beneficial health effects, or at what amount sedentary behaviour becomes detrimental. A general tenet was that at every level of current activity, further increases in physical activity provide additional health benefits, with relatively larger effects among those who are currently not active or active only at light intensity. Three specific guidelines on (1) moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity, (2) bone- and muscle-strengthening activities, and (3) sedentary behaviour were formulated separately for adults and children.

Conclusions: There is an unabated need for evidence-based physical activity guidelines that can guide public health policies. Research in which physical activity is measured both objectively (quantity) and subjectively (type and quality) is needed to provide better estimates of the type and actual amount of physical activity required for health.

Keywords: Chronic diseases; Fitness; Guidelines; Physical activity; Prospective cohort study; Randomized-controlled trial; Systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Not applicable

Consent for publication

Not applicable

Competing interests

FJGB, LB, MC,MTEH, AK, SK, LJCvL, AMa, AMo, HPvdP, TT, MV, GCWWV, EJCdG received compensation for meeting attendance and travelling expenses from the Health Council of the Netherlands.

LB, SK, LvL, AMa, AMo, TT, MV, GCWWV, EJCdG declare they have no other competing interests. FJGB was share holder of MyDailyLifestyle, was consultant for Nea, producer of ankle braces, and received a research grant from Fonds NutsOhra. MC received research grants from Fonds NutsOhra and The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development; MTHE received research grants from Rousselot and Friesland Campina, outside the submitted work. AK acted as a knowledge partner for the Dutch Diabetes Fund (unpaid). HPvdP participated in EC-FP7 EuroFIT-project, in which PALtechnologies acted as a consortium partner; HPvdP has received research funding from AstraZeneca and Achmea; and Ergotron provided 60% of sit-stand workstations for free in a research study HPvdP is involved in.

RMW declares she has no competing interests.

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References

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