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Physical activity and 5-year changes in physical performance tests and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women:
Kaori Kitamura1, Kazutoshi Nakamura, Ryosaku Kobayashi
1Department of Nursing, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Kita-ku, Niigata City, Japan.
Objective:
The effect of physical activity on musculoskeletal health in older adults is not completely understood. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between physical activity and 5-year changes in physical performance tests and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women.
Study Design:
The design was a 5-year cohort study.
Main Outcome Measures:
Subjects were 507 women (55-74 years old) living in a rural community in Japan. Physical activity assessed included housework, farm work, and moderate leisure-time physical activity within the previous week. Measurements at baseline included handgrip strength, walking time (timed "Up & Go" test) and BMD of the femoral neck and vertebrae. Five-year changes in these measures (outcome variables) were compared among groups with different levels of physical activity by analysis of covariance.
Results:
Women who did not do housework performed worse in changes in handgrip strength (difference=2.22 kg, P=0.0201) and worse in changes in the walking time (difference=0.54 s, P=0.0072) than those who did housework alone. Women who spent at least 9h per week (median=24) doing farm work performed better in changes in handgrip strength (difference=0.28 kg, P=0.0334), but worse in changes in the walking time (difference=0.66 s, P<0.0001) than those who did not do farm work. However, leisure-time activity was not associated with changes in any outcome variable, and none of the physical activities predicted BMD changes.
Conclusions:
Engaging in housework and farm work are determinants of physical function in postmenopausal women, which may help them maintain independence in daily living.
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