Routine physical activity and mortality in Mexican Americans aged 75 and older

To examine the association between routine physical activity and risk of 3-year mortality in Mexican Americans aged 75 and older.

Longitudinal study involving a population-based survey.

Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE) survey conducted in the southwestern United States (TX, CO, AZ, NM, CA).

Mexican-American men and women aged 75 and older (N = 948) participating in the H-EPESE.

Responses to the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) were assessed in 2005-06. Mortality was determined according to report of relatives at 3-year follow-up and from the National Death Index. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, financial strain, smoking status, body mass index, activities of daily living, depressive symptoms, cognitive function, and comorbid conditions.

The mean age of the sample was 82.2 ± 4.5. Cox proportional hazard regression estimated that the hazard ratios of death for persons in the low, moderate, and high quartiles of physical activity (PASE scale) ranged from 0.36 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.21-0.62) to 0.50 (95% CI = 0.31-0.82) compared to persons in the sedentary quartile after adjusting for covariates.

Routine physical activity involving household and leisure activities was associated with lower 3-year risk of mortality in a sample of older Mexican Americans living in the community.