Table 1 Participant characteristics by site and sex (mean ± SD)

Age (y)

36.3 ± 6.6

31.8 ± 6.2*

34.2 ± 5.7

35.2 ± 5.6

35.6 ± 6.6

34.8 ± 6.3

Body Mass Index (kg/m²)

22.1 ± 2.5***

22.6 ± 5.9***

23.2 ± 5.0***

25.6 ± 4.3***

29.6 ± 8.0

25.0 ± 6.3

Waist Circumference (cm)

78.5 ± 7.1***

79.1 ± 15.7***

80.0 ± 13.8***

85.5 ± 10.5***

98.5 ± 22.5***

85.5 ± 17.4***

Body Fat (%)

16.0 ± 5.4***

19.5 ± 8.0***

19.5 ± 8.2***

23.0 ± 7.3***

30.9 ± 8.3***

22.5 ± 9.2***

MVPA (min/day, 1-min bouts)

47.1 ± 21.7

53.5 ± 24.5**

26.2 ± 24.5

41.3 ± 27.3

34.8 ± 37.5

39.5 ± 29.7

MVPA (min/day 10-min bouts)

22.2 ± 14.8

28.0 ± 16.3

10.8 ± 19.5

20.9 ± 17.5

21.0 ± 35.1

20.2 ± 23.7

Sedentary (total min for day)

192.0 ± 40.0

204.2 ± 38.6

227.6 ± 61.0**

199.2 ± 44.1

206.0 ± 46.6

206.3 ± 48.4

Education (y)

9.5 ± 3.7***

10.0 ± 2.5***

10.7 ± 2.5***

12.1 ± 2.1

12.8 ± 1.9

11.2 ± 2.9

Manual Laborer (%)

66.7

75.6

62.8

65.9

69.4

67.9

Glucose (mmol/L)

5.6 ± 0.6

4.6 ± 0.8***

5.3 ± 0.5**

5.6 ± 0.8

5.8 ± 1.1

5.5 ± 0.9

Insulin (pmol/L)

79.8 ± 28.1

92.7 ± 109.8

87.0 ± 43.5

96.6 ± 56.7

138.0 ± 91.4

102.0 ± 75.0

Leptin (μg/L)

4.9 ± 6.3**

5.4 ± 8.8*

5.4 ± 8.4**

7.1 ± 6.9

11.2 ± 13.4

7.1 ± 9.6

Adiponectin (μg/mL)

9.2 ± 3.8

9.7 ± 4.3

5.8 ± 4.0

5.3 ± 3.0*

7.7 ± 4.7

7.5 ± 4.4

Log HOMA

1.0 ± 0.4***

0.8 ± 0.6***

1.0 ± 0.6***

1.1 ± 0.6*

1.4 ± 0.7

1.1 ± 0.6

Diabetes (%)

0

0

0

4.0 (n = 2)

6.7 (n = 5)

2.4 (n = 7)

Women

Ghana

South Africa

Jamaica

Seychelles

United States

Total

(75)

(88)

(70)

(77)

(75)

(385)

Age (y)

35.7 ± 6.2

32.5 ± 6.5*

34.8 ± 5.7

35.7 ± 6.5

35.5 ± 6.0

34.8 ± 6.3

Body Mass Index (kg/m²)

25.8 ± 6.2***

31.6 ± 8.5

28.5 ± 6.8***

28.2 ± 5.8***

34.8 ± 9.2

29.9 ± 8.0

Waist Circumference (cm)

85.1 ± 12.7***

97.3 ± 18.4

89.3 ± 13.7***

88.9 ± 11.7***

104.0 ± 20.3

93.1 ± 17.2

Body Fat (%)

35.3 ± 6.3***

42.1 ± 7.2*

38.4 ± 6.5***

38.6 ± 7.0***

45.0 ± 6.2

40.0 ± 7.5

MVPA (min/day, 1-min bouts)

27.3 ± 18.4***

19.9 ± 15.6

14.6 ± 10.9

20.3 ± 11.8

14.3 ± 16.3

19.4 ± 15.6

MVPA (min/day, 10-min bouts)

12.2 ± 11.5***

9.2 ± 10.5

5.5 ± 6.7

8.2 ± 8.6

5.9 ± 10.3

8.3 ± 9.9

Sedentary time (total min for day)

189.4 ± 33.6

221.1 ± 44.5

207.5 ± 47.5

191.5 ± 46.2

212.6 ± 43.3

205.2 ± 45.7

Education (y)

7.0 ± 4.2***

10.0 ± 2.3***

11.3 ± 2.3***

13.1 ± 2.4

13.4 ± 2.6

10.9 ± 3.7

Manual Laborer (%)^a

93.0

87.0

61.0

15.2

33.3

58.7

Glucose (mmol/L)

5.5 ± 0.6

4.6 ± 0.8***

5.1 ± 0.5

5.4 ± 1.4

5.5 ± 1.9

5.2 ± 1.1

Insulin (pmol/L)

103.3 ± 45.8***

157.1 ± 96.3

131.1 ± 62.4**

133.1 ± 77.3**

175.6 ± 86.0

140.7 ± 80.0

Leptin (μg/L)

26.5 ± 21.0***

26.5 ± 21.0

35.5 ± 22.1

28.3 ± 20.6**

41.4 ± 19.2

32.8 ± 21.6

Adiponectin (μg/mL)

10.2 ± 4.3

12.0 ± 6.5*

8.2 ± 5.3

7.2 ± 4.5

9.2 ± 5.8

9.6 ± 5.6

Log HOMA

1.2 ± 0.5***

1.3 ± 0.7***

1.3 ± 0.5**

1.3 ± 0.6**

1.7 ± 0.5

1.4 ± 0.6

Diabetes (0 = no;1 = yes)

1.0 (n = 1)

2.2 (n = 2)

1.4 (n = 1)

2.6 (n = 2)

12.0 (n = 9)

3.9 (n = 15)