Effects of a Long-Term Physical Activity Program on Activity Patterns in Older Adults

Abstract

Purpose To examine the effect of a long-term structured physical activity intervention on accelerometer-derived metrics of activity pattern changes in mobility-impaired older adults. Methods Participants were randomized to either a physical activity (PA) or health education (HE) program. The PA intervention included a walking regimen with strength, flexibility, and balance training. The HE program featured health-related discussions and a brief upper body stretching routine. Participants (n = 1,341) wore a hip-worn accelerometer for ≥10 h/day for ≥3 days at baseline and again at 6, 12 and 24 months post-randomization. Total physical activity (TPA)—defined as movements registering 100+ counts/min—was segmented into the following intensities: low light (LLPA; 100–759 counts/min), high light (HLPA; 760–1,040 counts/min), low moderate (LMPA; 1,041–2,019 counts/min), and high moderate and greater (HMPA; 2,020+ counts/min) physical activity. Patterns of activity were characterized as bouts (defined as the consecutive minutes within an intensity). Results Across groups, TPA decreased an average of 74 minutes/week annually. The PA intervention attenuated this effect (PA= −68 vs. HE: −112 minutes/week, p=0.002). This attenuation shifted TPA composition by increasing time in LLPA (10+ bouts increased 6 min/week), HLPA (1+, 2+, 5+, and 10+ bouts increased 6, 3, 2, and 1 min/week, respectively), LMPA (1+, 2+, 5+, and 10+ bouts increased: 19, 17,16, and 8 min/week, respectively), and HMPA (1+, 2+, 5+, and 10+ bouts increased 23, 21, 17, and 14 min/week, respectively). Conclusion The PA intervention increased physical activity by shifting the composition of activity toward higher intensity activity in longer duration bouts. However, a long-term structured physical activity intervention did not completely eliminate overall declines in total daily activity experienced by mobility-impaired older adults.

Effect of Hospitalizations on Physical Activity Patterns in Mobility‐Limited Older Adults

“…For sedentary time, we extracted time spent in bout lengths of 1 minute or more (total sedentary time), 10 minutes or more, 30 minutes or more, and 60 minutes or more. For active time, bout lengths of 1 minute or more (total activity time), 2 minutes or more, 5 minutes or more, and 10 minutes or more were used because significantly less time was spent being active than sedentary …”

“…PA participants had less sedentary time in bouts of less than 30 minutes than HE participants (−8 to −10 min/d) and more total activity (+3 to +6 min/d), although hospital-related changes were similar between the intervention groups (interaction effect p >. 26). CONCLUSION: Participating in a PA intervention before hospitalization had expected benefits, but participants remained susceptible to hospitalization's detrimental effects on their daily activity levels.…”

“…For active time, bout lengths of 1 minute or more (total activity time), 2 minutes or more, 5 minutes or more, and 10 minutes or more were used because significantly less time was spent being active than sedentary. 25,26 Covariates At baseline, information was collected on age, sex, race, ethnicity, education, marital status, income, and smoking status using self-report questionnaires. Body mass index (kg/m 2 ) was calculated from height and weight measured by study staff.…”

Association between physical activity and all‐cause mortality: A 15‐year follow‐up using a compositional data analysis

“…30 Cut-points to estimate time spent in different behaviors were chosen in accordance with previous population-based studies: SB (0-99 counts/min), LIPA (100-2019 counts/min), and MVPA (≥2020 counts/min). 31,32 The daily time spent in SB, LIPA, and MVPA were normalized to the total wear time in each day and averaged over the number of valid days. The software ActiLife 6 (ActiGraph) was used to extract and process the accelerometer data.…”

Association between Pre‐intervention Physical Activity Level and Treatment Response to Exercise Therapy in Persons with Knee Osteoarthritis—An Exploratory Study

“…Providing activity counts as a composite vector magnitude of three orthogonal axes, the GT3X accelerometer has been shown to be a valid and reliable measure for PA when examined against a previous accelerometer model as well as whole‐body indirect calorimetry . Analyses were restricted to participants with at least three valid monitoring days (ie, worn at least 10 hr/day) . Using modified Freedson vector magnitude counts per minute, light intensity PA cut‐points are 200‐2689, and MV intensity PA cut‐points are 2690 or greater.…”