Racial differences in physical activity in nursing home residents with cognitive impairment.
Nicole A Viviano, Elizabeth Galik, Barbara Resnick
PMID 34247786WHAT IT FOUND
After accounting for age, cognition, and comorbidities, African American and White nursing home residents with cognitive impairment had no clear differences in function or physical activity.
Both groups had insufficient activity, so activity plans should target all residents rather than by race.
Key findings
01When age, cognition, and comorbidities were controlled, function and physical activity did not differ significantly between African American and White residents.
02On the ActiGraph, White residents averaged 50.6 minutes of light activity and 1.5 minutes of moderate activity; African American residents averaged 46.2 minutes of light activity and 1.1 minutes of moderate activity.
03Barthel Index scores were low in both groups: African American residents averaged 48.9 and White residents averaged 44.7 on a 0 to 100 scale where 100 indicates complete independence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was not powered to detect racial differences in function or physical activity. Data came from 12 nursing homes in a single state. The objective measure was a single 24-hour ActiGraph period. Some residents were excluded for incomplete accelerometer data, and multivariate outliers were removed. Function and activity relied partly on nursing assistant proxy reports. Activity proxy reports may have been biased or overestimated. No detailed information on disability, walking devices, or wheelchair status was available. The ActiGraph may miss upper extremity and resistance activity, and cut points for older adults are not agreed.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were declared. The publication types list NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that African American residents have lower physical activity or function than White residents. The descriptive means were not significantly different after controlling for age, cognition, and comorbidities, and the study was not powered for racial differences.