Association between Sedentary Behaviour and Physical, Cognitive, and Psychosocial Status among Older Adults in Assisted Living

Identification of the factors that influence sedentary behaviour in older adults is important for the design of appropriate intervention strategies. In this study, we determined the prevalence of sedentary behaviour and its association with physical, cognitive, and psychosocial status among older adults residing in Assisted Living (AL).

Participants (n = 114, mean age = 86.7) from AL sites in British Columbia wore waist-mounted activity monitors for 7 consecutive days, after being assessed with the Timed Up and Go (TUG), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Short Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and Modified Fall Efficacy Scale (MFES).

On average, participants spent 87% of their waking hours in sedentary behaviour, which accumulated in 52 bouts per day with each bout lasting an average of 13 minutes. Increased sedentary behaviour associated significantly with scores on the TUG (r = 0.373, p < 0.001) and MFES (r = -0.261, p = 0.005), but not with the MoCA or GDS. Sedentary behaviour also associated with male gender, use of mobility aid, and multiple regression with increased age.

We found that sedentary behaviour among older adults in AL associated with TUG scores and falls-related self-efficacy, which are modifiable targets for interventions to decrease sedentary behaviour in this population.