Association of Physical Activity from Wearable Devices and Chronic Disease Risk: Insights from the All of Us Research Program

​Physical activity is a modifiable factor influencing chronic disease risk. Previous studies often relied on self-reported activity measures or short-term assessments, limiting their accuracy. Leveraging Fitbit-derived data from the All of Us Research Program, we investigated associations between long-term physical activity patterns and chronic disease incidence in a diverse cohort. The study included 22,019 participants with at least six months of Fitbit monitoring and linked electronic health records. Key activity metrics included daily step count, activity calories, elevation gain, and activity duration at different intensities. Higher physical activity levels were associated with a lower risk of multiple chronic diseases. A 2,000-step increase in daily step count was linked to a reduced risk of obesity (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.85, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.80–0.90), type 2 diabetes (HR = 0.78, CI: 0.72–0.84), and major depressive disorder (HR = 0.83, CI: 0.77–0.90). Elevation gain was inversely associated with obesity (HR = 0.86, CI: 0.78–0.95) and type 2 diabetes (HR = 0.65, CI: 0.53–0.80). Increased time spent in very active intensity correlated with a lower risk of multiple conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea and morbid obesity. Conversely, prolonged sedentary time was associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases, including obesity (HR = 1.08, CI: 1.06–1.10) and essential hypertension (HR = 1.05, CI: 1.04–1.07). A sensitivity analysis using BMI-defined obesity instead of EHR-based diagnoses confirmed the robustness of these associations. These findings underscore the protective role of increased physical activity and reduced sedentary time in mitigating chronic disease risk. They support the development of personalized physical activity recommendations and targeted public health interventions aimed at improving long-term health outcomes. Future research integrating machine learning approaches could further refine activity-based disease prevention strategies.