Are Active Australia physical activity questions valid for older adults?

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health Surveillance
• Exercise Science

Background:

• The Active Australia Survey (AAS) is a key tool for monitoring physical activity in the general Australian adult population.
• Its validity among older adults, a demographic with unique physical activity patterns, has not been previously established.
• Assessing the reliability of PA surveillance tools in aging populations is crucial for targeted public health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the convergent validity of the Active Australia Survey (AAS) physical activity (PA) questions specifically within an older adult cohort.
• To determine if AAS-derived PA measures correlate with objective measures of physical activity and fitness in adults aged 65 and above.

Main Methods:

• The study involved 53 community-dwelling adults aged 65-89 years, capable of walking 100 meters.
• Participants completed the AAS, a step-test for cardiorespiratory fitness, and the Short Form-36 physical function subscale.
• Objective physical activity was measured using pedometer step counts over one week, with AAS data compared using Spearman correlations.

Main Results:

• Median daily walking minutes were 34.2 and total PA minutes were 68.6.
• Both walking and total PA minutes showed moderate correlations with pedometer steps (r=0.42, p=0.003).
• Total PA minutes correlated significantly with physical function (r=0.39, p=0.004), but not with cardiorespiratory fitness measures.

Conclusions:

• The Active Australia Survey (AAS) demonstrates acceptable convergent validity for assessing physical activity in ambulatory, community-dwelling older adults.
• These findings support the use of the AAS as a valid surveillance tool for PA in this specific demographic.
• Further research could explore its validity in older adults with varying mobility levels.