Adherence to physical activity guidelines in older adults, using objectively measured physical activity in a...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Public Health
• Objective Physical Activity Measurement
• Health Behavior in Older Adults

Background:

• Physical activity (PA) declines with age in older adults.
• Current UK PA guidelines adherence in older adults lacks objective measurement.
• Objective PA measurement can precisely assess bout duration and intensity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of adherence to UK PA guidelines in older adults using objective measures.
• To identify correlates of adherence to PA guidelines in this population.
• To examine the impact of different intensities and durations on PA guideline adherence.

Main Methods:

• 1593 men and 857 women (aged 70-93) from UK population-based cohorts wore accelerometers for one week.
• Adherence defined as ≥150 minutes/week of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) in bouts of ≥10 minutes.
• MVPA intensity thresholds examined were >1040 cpm and >1952 cpm.

Main Results:

• 15% of men and 10% of women met guidelines (MVPA >1040 cpm, ≥10 min bouts).
• Prevalence decreased to 7% (men) and 3% (women) with stricter MVPA definition (>1952 cpm).
• Adherent individuals were younger, healthier, less depressed, more mobile, and had higher self-efficacy and positive outcome expectations. They also rated their environment more favorably for walking and safety, used active transport more, and walked dogs regularly.

Conclusions:

• Few older adults achieve current PA guidelines, highlighting a significant public health concern.
• Health promotion strategies focusing on extending moderate-intensity activity to 10-minute bouts may offer substantial health benefits.
• Further research is required to confirm if achieving guideline PA in 10-minute or longer bouts is critical for chronic disease risk reduction and cardiometabolic health improvement.