Physical activity patterns and multimorbidity burden of older adults with different levels of functional status: NHANES 2003-2006.
Jeremy A Steeves, Eric J Shiroma, Scott A Conger and 2 others
PMID 30871954WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with activity limitations or difficulty with daily tasks moved less and spent more time sedentary than high-functioning peers.
Their activity rose later and peaked lower, especially in morning and midday, when differences were largest.
Key findings
01Of the 2174 older adults included, 1049 were high physical functioning, 650 had activity limitations, and 475 were ADL disabled.
02The high physical functioning group had over 30% more total activity counts and activity counts per minute, and over 75% more moderate-to-vigorous activity minutes per week in modified 10-minute bouts, than the activity limitations or ADL disabled groups.
03Participants with activity limitations or ADL disability averaged 0.95 more chronic conditions than high physical functioning participants.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Cross-sectional survey: it cannot show that low activity caused more chronic conditions or that changing activity would improve health. People who used wheelchairs or could not walk or wear the accelerometer were ineligible, so the sample excludes some of the most disabled older adults. Physical function groups were based on self-reported difficulty with a mix of tasks, so someone with only upper-body disability could be classified as ADL disabled or activity limited. The waist-worn accelerometer may not capture the movement patterns of people with limited physical function well, and the study could not distinguish canes from walkers. Regression models explained only part of the variation in multimorbidity. Older adults than 85 were top-coded as 85, so the oldest-old group is not fully represented. Step counts and peak cadence did not differ between groups, so simple step goals may miss important intensity and timing differences.
Declared interests
The supplied text lists NIH intramural research support and does not provide a separate author conflict-of-interest statement.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that adding morning activity will reduce chronic conditions. This was a cross-sectional survey, and no intervention was tested.